WHAT SEEMS impossible in the City of San Fernando, whose electorate has always been described as “intelligent” has happened. The so-called glass ceiling gender-wise has been broken. For the first time in its history, the city now has a woman mayor.
In a way, though, the first woman mayor was a man, albeit honorary. He was former mayor and congressman Oscar Rodriguez, the rare honor of being named “honorary woman” was given by a local women’s club, Quota. The “not-real woman” lost it to the real woman in the recent polls. Back then, he was the clear choice to be Pampanga’s honorary woman by virtue of his excellent record in politics and public leadership.
In the recent polls, the original proved to be better, being the first as opposed to being the fourth in the race which aptly was described in street argot as “photo finish”. It was said that at the last minute, former board member Rosve Henson was still ahead of Caluag, seemingly on his way to fulfill an erstwhile epiphany, only to lose by nearly 10,000 reasons.
There should be forensic examination of the Fernandino intelligence in casting their votes in the May 9, 2022 elections. Or the legend is phony.
If the unprecedented result was a function of intelligence, only time will tell. At least, businesswoman Vilma Caluag will have three years to prove something and disprove her critics, and there are not a few members of the unhappy club.
She will join 23 percent or more of Filipino women elected as public officials. In that sense, she very well can be billed a game changer. With more women in politics, women-centric (not eccentric) agenda should gain more advocates.
Apparently, she will have her hands full when she assumes office, a little more than a month from now. There are unclear issues about city hall’s finances, largely tied to the city government’s loans which are automatically tied to the city IRA (internal revenue allotment). In other words, finances, finances, finances. What would you or can you do without them?
Next question: how would the working relationship between the City Hall and the Provincial Capitol be? Gov. Dennis Pineda has demonstrably shown a tactful,peaceful, workable approach to governance which, by and large, has contributed to the peaceful and orderly election in Pampanga. Caluag and Pineda working hand in hand for the good of their constituents is not far fetched. Healing of whatever, so the saying goes, is both time and opportunity.
Like a new fish in an aquarium, Caluag will be watched by many, if she fails or succeeds. It’s too early to tell which way she goes. One thing sure, winning is not the same as governing, especially when using honesty, competence and good governance as the benchmark. Those are imagined, well-proven political sinkholes.
Going northward, Chris Garbo has cemented his hold or dominance in Mabalacat City by trouncing mercilessly his opponents, former Mayor Boking Morales and his former aide, Deng Pangilinan. The future looks brighter for Garbo, like a congressional dream. Morales has nothing to feel bad about or be ashamed of, really. He had been there, done that, whatever for nearly 20 years or so, as chief executive in what looked like an unmistakable legal defiance of the Constitution.
He must be immortalized for two things: 1) converting Mabalacat into a component city and 2) making Mabalacat a richer LGU from its rightful share in Clark’s financial boom by asserting his claim that 95 percent of Clark belongs to Mabalacat. He was able to put up a municipal annex in Clark under a friendly President Benny Ricafort which he could not do under an intellectually arrogant Rufo Colayco.
Several years ago, when he was still young and grinning always from ear to ear, he joined local politicians headed by the well-loved (or well-hated) PBA coach Yeng Guiao in a lunch for Sen. Franklin Drilon. When Drilon found out that Morales had exceeded` the Constitutional limit for local elective officials, the senator threatened to initiate a Senate investigation. Morales gave a sheepish smile, and nothing came out of Drilon’s promise, which is what politicians really do.
Garbo understands his politics better than Morales, or his loyalty.
Once upon a year, in a FIBA basketball elimination in China, Garbo joined other provincial officials and private hangers-on in watching Guiao coach a Philippine team to a quarterfinal slot. The Philippines lost but Garbo won. He acted more like an aide-de-camp to then Gov. Lilia Pineda than a board member, which was providential. On the way to the coliseum, Nanay sprained her foot and nearly fell but for somebody close to her who caught her near fall. Guess, who?
That probably changed Garbo’s political fortune. Meanwhile, once upon an election year, Morales was asked by the powers-that-be to give up his throne in favor of another candidate. It is said that Morales agreed, only to walk back on his earlier promise. His political future was never the same after that,and probably never will be in light of his lopsided loss to Garbo,
Like Morales or Garbo, or others before, Gonzales has come to understand his limitation both as human and politician. Even with the respectable performance of one Danilo Baylon in the recent polls, he has found it better to align himself, now and forever, politically with those who call the shots in the province. He learned that once upon a time, and learned it well. Or he vividly remembers a painful political defeat once.
IN 2025, Gonzales’s term will expire. He looks forward to it because he’s tired and he’s not getting any younger. He may opt for another local post and help sustain the new dynasty that he has just built with his two children. No, he’s not planning to build a Great of Wall of China version in the Philippines like the Ming Dynasty did in the Ancient Kingdom. He’s a master builder, no doubt. Yes, he wants to make Mexico Pampanga’s third city before he exits congressional politics.
His definitive exit will open new opportunities for other politician, old and new, game changers, perhaps. Who will they be? That would largely be an existential, a financial or a circumstantial `question. In politics, as in anything, Solomon warned long ago, victory is not always guaranteed to the wise, swift, skillful and intelligent, for time and chance happen to all. That’s why there are game changers, and there is a Great Ultimate Gamechanger.
