Junking them who junk

LETTERS FROM THE AGNO
March L. Fianza

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- Last week I did my own survey by asking at random 10 persons the simple question: “Sino ibotos mu nga congressman para Benguet?” (Who are you voting for congressman for Benguet?). I told them also that I am not familiar with Benguet politics.

The result: one market vendor said “saan ku amu,” two professionals chose Agpas, one other guy said he will vote for Dulnuan because he knows him as a successful businessman, two middle-aged women and a young man said they want Cosalan back because his performance was better during his term, two chose Chamos because he is a relative, and one senior citizen said “Dangwa ibotos ko.”

I did not tell the senior citizen that Dangwa is now running for another position. Apparently, he did not know that. What I wanted to hear from my respondents was the names of the other candidates. Alas, not any of them mentioned the other bets. Maybe they only knew Agpas, Dulnuan, Dangwa, Chamos and Cosalan.

Many think it is now the time for Benguet congressional bet Ronald M. Cosalan as he is ahead of his rivals. This is due to several reasons. His known experience in legislative work is one, in addition to his connections with the central government.

He has served with diligence and distinction, a track record of quality legislation and a quiet no non-sense work, and was active in voicing out the problems and concerns of Benguet by delivering strongly-worded privilege speeches in congress.

Cosalan during his stint has authored several landmark laws of national application among which are the RA 8371 or the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997 (IPRA) otherwise known as the Ancestral lands law; RA 8558 or the Early Retirement Act which lowered the retirement age for underground mine workers from 60 years old to 50 years old; RA 8474, An Act granting Income Tax Exemption on Retirement Benefits; and RA 8178 - An Act Creating the Agricultural Enhancement Fund.

He is not merely satisfied with appropriating funds for rip-rap walls or kabite projects, or for having his attendance checked. With Cosalan, everyone in Benguet will again have a voice in congress. Let us send him there as that is rightly where he belongs. Do not waste your vote by choosing candidates with uncertain status.
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Two days from now, LGUs all over the country will see a mix of old and new faces taking over the reins of government.

As a pahabol or sequel to last week’s column telling voters what and who not to vote for, there are a few very important things that voters in Baguio should be reminded about, as based on past experiences of some elective officials.

In Baguio , there are voters in some barangays who vote only for their kailians in their home province and junk the other candidates even while all of them belong to the same political party.

This is the practice of “single-voting” resorted to by migrants from provinces outside Benguet, particularly Mountain Province .

Incidentally, before the start of the campaign, along with other media practitioners, I received a text message from an unlisted cellphone number inviting us to a press conference with a group called “Kiltepan.”

I found out later that the term was coined from the abbreviated names of barangays Kilong, Tetep-an and Antadao of Sagada.

The advanced information that I received was that the Kiltepan group would hold a convention then announce who to support for congressman.

I asked myself who the organizers and members of this group are, and who are they to say that they can influence the outcome of the election?

I also asked myself if the rest of the candidates for congressman in Baguio would be included in the convention, knowing that a good number of i-Kiltepans would be voting for candidates other than their own.

As expected from a convention that had a stench of being fixed even prior to its organization, a “chosen” candidate was endorsed.

I also found out later that one of the organizers of the convention was the henchman – the loyal follower of the candidate that got the convention’s endorsement.

Today however, as the campaigners make their last rounds, there are talks going around that many of those who participated in the Kiltepan convention shifted support to candidates other than the one they endorsed prior. Of course, that is in exchange of something else.

But what would alarm candidates is the deceitful style of not stopping supporters from junking other party-mates who do not belong to their tribe.

Councilor Nick Aliping had tried being junked by members of his own party many elections ago. While he campaigned hard for his whole line-up in his barangay, he was being delisted by his party-mates in their barangays.

I am sure other candidates like Councilors Fred Bagbagen and Poppo Cosalan have been previous victims of the junking system in these barangays.

If that is the case as far as some Baguio migrant tribes are concerned, then I would advice the supporters of the other candidates to do the same. Let their kailian candidates taste their own poison.

In the case of the Liberal Party in Baguio , I would like to know if there is any assurance from the congressional and vice mayoralty bets that their supporters from the Kiltepan tribal grouping would support the whole line up.

Although, I know that does not need asking. It is still doubtful if these types of politicians and supporters have come away from their deceitfulness.
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As I see it, only few are sincere with the statement about loving Baguio . For the rest, it has become an overstatement. The truth is, many are running for councilor, vice mayor, mayor and congressman because of the perks that come with the position.

So that for me the “I love Baguio ” statement from many candidates is not completely true because that can be said only by a true-blue Baguio son who saw how the city grew.

To say “I love Baguio ” is to say that one knows what Baguio was then and what Baguio is now. And so those who did not grow up with the city have no right to be running city hall.

Bubut Olarte, Peter Fianza, Poppo Cosalan, Sonia Daoas, Nick Aliping and Fred Bagbagen know that because they know Baguio like the back of their hands.

But many are lured into filing their candidacies just because they have tasted winning through single-voting. That is why the Kiltepan candidate who is running for director of an electric company always won.

And that was where it started – the corruption, the perks, the junking. Unless, we stop voting for candidates who pretend to love Baguio, the candidates who practiced politics in an electric company will lord it over. And corruption will thrive in city hall.
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New antics employed by enterprising voters have emerged. One is by removing the posters of a certain candidate then sell them to the rival candidate.

Another new antic is to gather as many flyers that can later be presented to the winning candidates in exchange for favors or cash.

Other candidates wait for these opportunities and while they do that Jose Bubut Olarte, no. 40 sa balota prefers to be busy on more positive activities.

Last Monday, Bubut made people happy by doing music in a free concert at the Igorot Garden . Friends from Manila , including Pinoy Rock icon Pepe Smith played with local musicians.

It was a better way to impart one’s thoughts. It was a unique way of campaigning, not just making noise. In fact, many are looking forward to a second round.

Please include Bubut Olarte in your list of councilors. Bubut is a SON OF BAGUIO having spent most of his life in this mountain city. Like anyone of us who grew up in Baguio , his desire is to bring back the old charm of Baguio City . – marchfianza777@yahoo.com