Didi for Samar vice governor

Political alignments should have been completed at least last August, and final slates for elective positions should have already been finalized by political parties as late as last Friday. This in light of the period set by the Commission on Elections for the filing of certificates of candidacy for all the positions covered by the May, 2013 elections – senatorial down to sangguniang panlungsod/bayan. Filing is only for five days, beginning on October 1 and ending on October 5 midnight. The October 5, 2012 deadline is not likely to be changed. Everyone with particular interest in the 2013 polls is supposed to be aware of the schedules prescribed by the Comelec in relation to the elections starting last January.

Just who are ready to file?

This column is informed that the Liberal Party in the province of Samar is very much ready. In fact as ready as early last August, with an official blessing from Samar’s LP king Raul Daza.

I can only be sure of one person who is in the official slate for the provincial elections. I met him personally last Monday in Basey, Samar when I was summoned in by close friends who, I learned soon, were exchanging ideas about the sad state of Samar’s development and what else can be done to correct the present situation.

Former Basey mayor Wilfredo “Didi” Estorninos confirmed to me that the LP slate is already complete as of last week.
Lawyer Didi has accepted to be the running mate of a daughter of the slain Calbayog City mayor, Reynaldo Uy, former congressman of the First District of Samar. He is now the official candidate for vice-governor of the Liberal Party in the province of Samar. Recently, he was presented to political leaders and allies of the slain mayor in a mammoth gathering in Calbayog, and, their resounding approval of his being the team mate of their Calbayognon bet for governor was notable in their cheers and applauses. Mayors from neighboring towns belonging to the First District and Second District were among those who are by now ready to throw in their support to the woman-man tandem.

By last weekend, the LP in the province was comfortable to note that about nine of the 16 towns, including Calbayog and Catbalogan cities are led by local LP stalwart-mayors. Of course, that includes my very own town, Basey, where the mayor, Atty. Igmedio Junji Elero Ponferrada, ran under, and is still with, the LP.

Incumbent Samar sangguniang panlalawigan member Atty. Eunice Babalcon of Paranas town is LP’s bet for member of the House of Representatives for the Second District of Samar.

Lawyer Eunice was with Mayor Uy when the latter was shot during a public affair at the covered court in Hinabangan town, at about 9:30 o’clock in the evening of one late Saturday in April. The mayor, while seated at the presidential table, was hit left of his chest. By 1:20 a.m. of Sunday, Divine Word University hospital doctors attending to him declared him dead. Eunice, who was seated next to him at the covered court was hit on her arm. After the dastardly shooting incident, the duo were immediately brought to the DWU hospital. Eunice was declared out of danger.

At that time, Mayor Uy and Eunice were strongly crusading for the conduct of recall elections in which siblings incumbent governor Sharee Ann Tan-delos Santos and vice-governor Stephen James Tan were being challenged. Had the recall elections pushed through, the sister-brother structure would be facing an Uy-Babalcon tandem. It would have been a Catbalogan-Catbalogan versus Calbayog-Paranas political picture.

Filling up the mayor’s seat that was left due to Uy’s death is certified public accountant Ronaldo Aquino who was elected as vice-mayor and a party mate of the slain mayor.

By October 1, it is most likely that Rosa Jessica Uy-Delgado, the eldest daughter of the slain mayor, will be filing her candidacy as the official bet of the LP for the position of governor in Samar.

As for Didi, he told Calbayognons he is ready to campaign, and then to work with a Calbayognon lady governor.

Well, just who will be their opponents? It’s not yet clear to QN as of this writing. There was, for instance this yarn that James had been to Calbayog to register there as a voter. If true, would that mean that he will be running for mayor in Calbayog? More yarn: sitting congresswoman Milagrosa Tee Tan will swap places for the second time with daughter-now-governor Ann. Mila, it is believed, will try to retake the governorship. Ann will give way and instead pursue the congressional seat that she first held before becoming Samar’s second lady governor.

Will others join the gubernatorial races? We will know by October first week.

Ah yes, Lee Zosa and incumbent Catbalogan sangguniang bayan member Teodoro V. Ilagan are among LP’s choices for SP (provincial board member).

In my hometown, I think Junji’s running mate this time will be a political ally in the SB. Would it be Nonoy?

Across Samar, Samarnons still recall that President Noynoy Aquino, the Liberal Party leader of the Philippines who was saddened by the loss of his party mate, Mayor Uy, keeps a close watch on Samar as a result of the “dastardly act” of killing the mayor which he also described as a heavy treachery – “They were shot, I understand,while their heads were bowed in an invocation,” he said.

The President instructed the Philippine National Police to “clamp down” on the entire province to prevent any instances of violence. PNoy said: “”We don’t want this violence to be the precursor of even more violence. I can assure the people of the province of Rey Uy that the police, together with the Armed Forces, will exert maximum efforts to ensure that there will really be a clamp down, and there will be no more untoward incidents of violence.”

As I include this recollection, perhaps the PNP should give its latest account. President Aquino is also watching you. “May I take this opportunity also to emphasize to the regional director and to the police director and the various chiefs of police that I am looking at them right now and they better perform,” the President had said.

By: Chito Dela Torre

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