Victory for Victor

By Al S. Mendoza

I’VE HEARD the good news: Gov. Agbayani has reportedly started fixing the Canatan Bridge in my hometown of Mangatarem.

“Finally, the governor has listened to your pleas,” said Uncle Pros Garcia, the former vice mayor of Mangatarem. “Canatan is now being repaired.”

Uncle Pros, my mom’s cousin, has been my eyes and ears as he has elected to stay put in myhometown after years of living in Marikina City. He was a sheriff in Quezon City and, upon retirement, he ran and won as vice mayor. He lost in his bid for the mayoralty contest of our town. 

“There’s no bitterness whatsoever with my defeat,” he said to me. “The voice of the people is the will of God. I respect that wholeheartedly.”

Not all good men can become leaders, much less winners, it is our curse, I guess, that bad men win most of the time. The good guys finish last because they always try to look good, act good, when ranged against the bad guys. Historically speaking, against the bad guys in a political encounter, the good guys almost always end up in the cellar.

Politics in this country make losers out of winners, and winners out of losers.

You play by the rules, you lose.

You circumvent the rules, you win.

You badmouth your political foe, you win.

You present yourself as Mr. Clean, you lose.

It goes on and on and on, this vicious cycle of seeing the bad guys emerging winners most of the time, if not all of the time.

You can fool the people some of the time but not all of the time?

Fool my ass.

Only the bad guys emerge victorious in elections.  Only in the movies do the good guys come out winners in the end.

Movies are make-believe. Politics is reality.

Politics is the so-called art of compromise. But the good guys hate to compromise and the bad guys always eat compromises for breakfast.

My late mother said to me when I planned to run for congressman in 1992 upon the egging of Boss Danding Cojuangco: “Son, if you enter politics, be sure you are ready to compromise your principles.”

Cris Mendoza (may his soul rest in peace) came to the house days before the deadline of filing of candidacy. He pleaded with my mom to ask me to step aside to give way to his candidacy. In a matter of minutes, he got my nod and my handshake – to the relief of my mom.

The rest is history.

Elections are now just around the corner. 

Will Governor Agbayani’s wife really run for governor in 2007?

From today to elections 2007 is now merely a hundred meter dash.  The early bird gets the first worm.

I do not think that if Canatan Bridge is actually being repaired now, it’s got something to do with the elections of 2007.

Now, if it’s true, I find nothing wrong with that. Like God, politicians do work also in mysterious ways.

I can only hope it’s true – that Canatan Bridge is now being repaired.  And, if true, my gratitude goes sincerely to the governor. 

I haven’t visited my town for weeks now as I was quite busy from January to early March this year. Been to Bacolod, Calauag, Quezon, Cagayan de Oro and Davao for various missions. 

Now if my dear, old Canatan Bridge is finally being repaired, it’s not only a victory for my folk but, more importantly, a victory for Victor.

A good deed is never late.

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