By Leonardo Micua

 

THE withdrawal of President Duterte from the senatorial race, just a few minutes after his long time aide Senator Christopher Lawrence Go, made good on his earlier promise to back out from the presidential race, did not surprise us at all.

From the very beginning, we viewed his candidacy for senator as a  joke, a spur of the moment decision shortly after eyeing the position of Vice President, then changed overnight when his daughter Mayor Inday Sara, substituted to run for VP under another party without consulting him.

He knew that his rushed decision to run for Senator was sort of a misadventure and would  not be appreciated by a big majority of the Filipino people. As incumbent president. Duterte might come out of the race victorious but not unscathed for him to be positioned as possible contender for the senate presidency.

At the back of many minds, they cannot imagine what the senate would look like if it has a senate president or a senator like Duterte.

Remember, Duterte withdrew his senatorial  bid after daughter Inday Sara included him as among the candidates of the Unity Team she formed with former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. This even fanned the suspicion that the father and daughter are likely not seeing eye to eye and in a serious irreconcilable family feud.

Or Duterte cannot stomach to be in the line-up of a man whom he described as “weak”, whom he hinted as the presidential aspirant who was “taking cocaine in a yacht” and “son of a famous father”.

But we welcome Duterte’s promise to finally hang up his political gloves so he can focus on improving the situation in the country, and strengthen government’s response  to COVID-19 especially after another variant threatens to engulf the entire Philippines.

And moreover, to help make next year’s elections as clean, honest and peaceful as possible for the sake of the next generations of Filipinos.

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Sadly, the Omicron variant, said to be 10 times more transmittable than the Delta variant, already managed to enter the country through a Nigerian traveler who came from Africa and a returning OFW from Japan who arrived on November 30 and December 1, respectively.

But it took two weeks for the results of the genome sequencing of their specimens to be confirmed they were infected with the Omicron variant. 

Fortunately, the DOH did all to trace the two, in clouding the passengers close to their plane seats, and they all tested negative of the COVID-19 variant. That was a big relief to us all.

The incursion of the Omicron variant could put pressure again on the country’s health care system, that already eased since October. 

In Pangasinan, would you believe that there was only one new confirmed COVID-19 case that was logged on December 16? It was a first time in the history of this pandemic in the province. It could be a sign that the contagion is about to be conquered in our province. 

But even with Omicron variant in the horizon, there’s no need to panic. For as long as we are fully vaccinated  and will continue to practice the minimum health protocols, from the wearing of face masks ,maintaining social distancing,  frequently washing our hands with soap and alcohol, we can be assured that we’ll be fine.  

Health Secretary Pingcoy Duque suggested that when push comes to shove, we may need to bring back the face shields as our additional protection from the Omicron variant.  

But to our consolation, the Omicron variant—according to health experts—will only result in mild infection, although it is highly transmittable.

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Aren’t you surprised that even before the start of the campaign period in February next year, national candidates are now frequenting Pangasinan to woo the Pangasinenses’  votes. This is because Pangasinan is a vote-rich province with its number of voters, comprising 60 percent of the region’s total, while the other three  provinces account for the other 40 percent.

Just last week, former Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar and Deputy House Speaker Loren Legarda were in Dagupan and foremost in the itinerary was a courtesy call on the De Venecias in Bonuan Binloc.

Then there were Chel Diokno and Teddy Baguilat who spoke at a youth forum at Stadia.

It was boxing world champion Manny Pacquiao who blazed the trail in Pangasinan with his visits to Dagupan and Binmaley. He was mobbed by thousands who came to claim a P1,000 bill from him.

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