Political Statesmanship
By Ermin Garcia Jr
I don’t blame the new majority at the Sangguniang Panlungsod led by Vice Mayor Bryan Kua and Majority Floor Leader Michael Fernandez, for gloating over the “powerless” position that Councilor Dada Reyna, the only survivor of the 2025 massacre of the epaLiFe in the last elections.
It was a classic case of giving the epaLIFEs a dose of their own medicine after what they did to the old minority. The only difference was Dada and her group made monumental boo-boos when they miscalculated the minority’s slight edge over their 7 members. It never dawned on them that 5 members can give their majority a run for their money.
Today, the new majority believes that a minority of one is indisputably powerless and with good reason, unless 6 of the majority turn the tables on Councilor Michael Fernandez.
Impossible, right? Indeed, the odds of a minority of one gaining the majority are statistically impossible.
So, what do the majority, hope to gain from excluding Councilor Dada from membership in any committee? Nothing. Just bawi bawi lang. I hope the new majority realizes that she is already being paid her salary and benefits as a councilor, so whether or not she is assigned a committee membership, it’s a “win-win” for her.
But there is still one positive image that the new majority can earn from this situation – to teach their former immature adversaries a lesson in political statesmanship. This is a rare opportunity presented only to political victors that will never be forgotten, to allow a single voice to be heard.
Political statesmanship is about democratic exercise to serve public interests. In this regard, I’m assuming that the epaLIFES are not hopeless incorrigibles, that given the chance, Councilor Dada can redeem herself as an active positive participant in legislation.
Besides, she can always be silenced the minute she manifests an inclination to be an obstructionist again!
One of the Waterloo of the epaLIFES was the cancellation of the Mother-Child Hospital. She can be made a committee member and actively help work for the restoration of the project, regardless of DOH’s chosen site. Or she can forever hold her peace and be a useless obstructionist politico all her life.
In my book, that would be a win-win political statesmanship for the new majority!
* * * *
LEARN FROM DAGUPAN. I find it amusing how the detractors of the Belen administration believe they can continue to discredit the completed elevation projects, by showing “puddles of water” on the elevated projects during high tide on social media.
Don’t they realize that many photos of waist-deep flooded streets are being posted by helpless, frustrated residents because their local governments failed to provide elevated streets and drainage systems?
Isip-isip!
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