Think about it
Governor’s SOPA gives us a glimpse of things to come
By Jun Velasco
CONGRATS, Col. Mariano Verzosa Jr., alyas Sonny, for his assignment as acting Dagupan Police chief.
A temporary replacement of Colonel Dionicio Borromeo who is under investigation in connection with the busting of a big shabu factory in La Union, Sonny comes from a family of high breeding. His late father, former Mayor Marianing Verzosa, was a good friend and a political tactician of the late former Gov. Aguedo Agbayani.
Though his father was an Agbayani man. Sonny has served then police director Amado Espino with dedication and faithfulness. He hopes the governor and Mayor Al Fernandez will support his Dagupan appointment. He is a fine soldier, a good family man and a model cop. We wish him the best of luck.
* * * *
Give it to him, our diminutive Governor.
When he ran for governor in the last elections, well, after an eventful stint in the House led then by House Speaker Joe de Venecia, many in Pangasinan expressed misgivings at how he could beat an Agbayani, who is regarded loosely as a political legend in Pangasinan.
In this province, the Agbayani name has been a buzzword in every home, and only the incorrigible political operators gave political sophomore Amado “Spines” Espino a hairline of a chance to win in the last election.
Well, you say. his opponent was not the true-to-the-core Agbayani, Dr. Jamie being “just a wife” of the popular Governor now Congressman Victor, but she was never a push-over as she, too, was (still is) a household name especially among the womenfolk that comprised the majority of voters.
This, not to mention Victor’s forays into his die-hard allies himself, originally formed and built by his late father, once the longest serving governor of this so-called premier province in the Philippines, not to mention the formidable Iglesia ni Cristo vote that went for Jamie.
From all indications, the soldier-spitfire from Bautista and Bugallon was bound to lose in that tough fight of his life (the toughest so far) against an Agbayani.
Well, the little big man who we thought was joking when he intimated his desire to be Pangasinan governor during his stint as police director proved all the crystal ball gazers wrong. It’s true Spines, as he is casually addressed by friends and “familiar foes” alike, was known for fighting the windmills, in district politics —but the Pangasinan battle ground which would involve close to two million votes was hard to chew.
Not many knew that Spines had, well, his name said it, “spines.” In his military career, he fought major battles, having captured, together with fellow Lt. Arturo Lomibao, New People’s Army’s biggest fish, Commander Dante Buscaino at the height of the insurgency campaign. In a rare occasion earlier, Spines collared West Pangasinan’s dreaded bandit named Fred Cabarlo.
Our knowledge of Spines dates back to our student days when as a Manila-based youthful ideologue we would huddle during weekends in Dagupan with local firebrands the likes of the late Manny Cornel, Johnny Amor of UPANG, Amado Espino, Nick Melecio, Mario Panoringan and Manny Gatchalian (among many others) of then Luzon Colleges.
Spines, then president of the LC student council, struck as a student leader of great promise because he graduated at the top of his class in high school along with Mario Geronilla, now a doctor, and the well-known tycoon, Cesar Quiambao.
Instead of joining the red badge-wearing firebrands, Spines enrolled at the Philippine Military Academy where he distinguished himself as one obsessed to make a mark in service to country under a rule of law, which was not fashionable in the era of Mao, Che Guevarra, and Joe Ma Sison.
And so the youthful leader from both Pangasinan East and West launched a political career that cast his dream to rule the Philippine National Police to smithereens, licking his wounds for failing to obtain a star of a general.
Incensed by frustration in his military career, he resolved to make up in the tougher world of politics as a form of punishment — or reward — where organizational skill would face the litmus test but tempered with popular savvy. He found out he had both.
In his bid to square off with the known Pangasinan legend, “the greenhorn turned sophomre now junior” summoned all that he had to achieve victory. How many nights had he cried in the deep of night probably wishing dark reality was but a dream especially logistics was scarce, pushing him to recite Hamlet’s “to be or not to be” at the height of confusion and near-desperation?
Was it misplaced pride that tugged at his deep entrails that enabled him to plod on through blood, sweat, and tears unknown by his closest of confidants? The guy had bouts of insecurity, which probably explains his scarce huddles with confreres, of self-imposed aloofness and seeming inaccessibility.
But the political legend he dared fight, and the impossible happened.
Now, even while talks are nonstop of an Agbayani-Espino rematch in 20l0 the Bugallon spitfire draws inspiration from Bob Dylan’s “The times they are a changin” and a performance record that to him remains unmatched among all Pangasinan governors in the given length of time that he is at the helm. He exudes a leadership style that connotes passion beyond compare.
Tomorrow, let’s listen to what he has to say; it will give us a glimpse of what kind of stuff he will unleash in 20l0, when the imminent foe is the legend himself, Victor Agbayani.
En garde!
(Readers may reach columnist at junmv@yahoo.com. For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/think-about-it/ For reactions to this column, click “Send MESSAGES, OPINIONS, COMMENTS” on default page.)
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