Thank you notes and moving on

LETTERS FROM THE AGNO
March L. Fianza

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- Some people put some sense of value and respect on the outcome of a recently finished election, although they have questions on how the process went through.

They accept the results as the voice of the electorate although they are not fully satisfied about how such results were attained. They ask: “kasatnu nga nangabak ni Juan?” (How did Juan win?).

In Baguio and Benguet, the percentage of acceptability on the results of the elections is higher than any other district in this country. This is especially so for local bets who consider local elections as the center of interest of their voters and supporters.

Realizing that, losing candidates, however puzzled they may be, have to accept defeat by conceding in good demeanor. This is a sign of maturity among candidates and their supporters. And by accepting defeat, they become more humane.

Mayor Tim Galwan of La Trinidad, Benguet has known the taste of winning in an election. However this time, he lost in a rematch with lawyer Greg Abalos. But Galwan knew that there was nothing else to do but to accept the people’s mandate. He conceded because he knew that things in La Trinidadmust move on.

Facebook denizen La Trinidad councilor Thomas Chamos who was one among the seven congressional bets in Benguet gracefully conceded right away. In his FB wall he said, “I too have not made it and I would like to believe that all of us who did not win in this 2010 election must respect the peoples’ right of suffrage.”

Chamos further wrote: “There is no amount of explanation regarding our fate because democracy has prevailed. It’s time to cooperate and allow the new administration to function, move forward forprogress and development. The next election is just 1,095 days away.”

Later, the councilor sent a text message extending his congratulations to lawyer Ronald M. Cosalan, the winner in the congressional race in Benguet.

What is good in Benguet is that we respect each other’s choice. One can even promote his bet in the face of a person who is supporting another bet. Like for instance, Chamos knew all along that I was a Cosalan supporter ever since, still I respected the good councilor’s reasons why he filed his candidacy.

On the other hand, councilor Tommy also believed in my reasons. We do have different choices even if we are related through the Lubos clan of Baguio-La Trinidad. By knowing where we belong, it seemed to me the brandy even tasted better everytime we bumped into each other.

I think that will always be the best part of our political experience in Benguet – always being able to drink and being merry with a known political opponent. In other places in the country, opposing candidates and their supporters do not consume liquor under one common roof, or else they end up killing each other.
***
Re-electionist governor Fongwan did not seem to be his usual self during his talk after being proclaimed winner Tuesday last week. This time he was emotional, as most of his speeches in the past were filled with jokes and funny stories about life.

But as he was delivering his message of thanks and describing how peaceful the campaigns went, a re-elected mayor said “agpasalamat ketdi ni gob ijay kalaban na ta nagbackfire jy narugit nga atake da kanyana” (gob should instead thank his opponents because their dirty attacks on him have backfired).

Whatever those dirty attacks were, what is more important at the end of the day is that the elections are over, people have accepted defeat and we must move on.

The same is true with re-elected mayors Ruben Paoad and Robert Canuto of Tublay and Kapangan, respectively.

In Tublay, mayor Paoad has been the subject of ridicule and backstreet attack by his opponents. Those who were in the forefront of those derisions lost their re-election bid. Now I heard, mayor Paoad wishes to thank them for those attacks directed on him. Minus his detractors, he said he can now work better. This time, Tublay can really move on.

For Kapangan, mayor Canuto felt uncomfortable as he was afraid he might lose even though he ran unopposed in the last election. He said, “narigat ti awan kalaban na” (it’s hard to run unopposed).

In my mind, what Mayor Canuto was afraid of was the insecurity of not being able to know what his constituents were thinking of or what they wanted. And while he had no opponent, he still had to campaign for his candidates for other positions. Whatever, things must move on in Kapangan.

But the guy luckier than Canuto who had no opponent in the last election was no other than Benguet vice-governor Crescencio Pacalso who ran for re-election. I say luckier than Canuto because his opponent former vice-governor Wasing Sacla filed his candidacy but he did not campaign.

Sacla came to Pacalso’s office to say “farewell, I’m going abroad.” But according to vice gob Cencio, what he did not know was that Sacla first filed his candidacy before leaving for Wasing-ton Dizzy or Sacla-mento , USA . That is if vice gob Pacalso was telling us the truth or was telling a joke.
Anyway in my mind, what may have happened was that vice gob Cencio could have given vice gob Wasing to first file before leaving for the USA . That makes him the candidate who was ‘shadow-boxing’ during the last campaign.

I told Vice Gov. Pacalso, “sika ti sankaswerte-an ta aniniwan ti kalaban mu” (you are the luckiest because your opponent is only a shadow. Whatever, things in the Benguet sanggunian must move on. – marchfianza777@yahoo.com