SAN FABIAN—“Mainit (hot) and dirty, with capital D.I.R.T.Y.”

This was how Fr. Oliver Mendoza, parish priest of St. Fabian Parish Church, described the local politics in his town.

Mendoza said in an interview only one of the two mayoralty candidates is capable of good governance in the town of San Fabian but stopped short of naming names.

He said factors like integrity, awareness to issues with the intellectual acumen to solve them, and capability to administer the town are the key components to good leadership.

“There is only one, the other one is out of his mind,” he said.

The mayoralty candidates here are re-electionist Mojamito Libunao, who is running for his third and last term, and Roland Villegas, president of the Association of Barangay Chairmen.

Mendoza said the 2004 election was definitely cleaner and more orderly as this year’s campaign period was marred by various forms of vote-buying, force and threat from one party.

“Not only do they buy votes, they also threat lives. The good thing is, only one camp is doing them,” he said.

CALL FOR RESPONSIBLE VOTING

The head priest of San Fabian also stressed that election is the time when people render their power to a particular individual to govern.

However, with the use of bribery, threat and force, the people are somehow being forced to give away that power.   

He said that as early as January, the Parish Pastoral Council of Responsible Voting (PPCRV) started conducting a voter’s education drive through their Credible Honest and Meaningful Peaceful (CHAMP) campaign.

The PPCRV also promotes the “walang hihingi, walang tatanggap (Don’t ask, don’t accept)” maxim to curtail vote-buying.

“I hope that the people in San Fabian will vote those candidates who are deserving and dedicated,” said Mendoza, adding, “Vote with a conscience.”—Ma. Rosann M. Marcella

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