Mayor Resuello’s political odyssey

By Jun Velasco

MAYOR Jolly Resuello’s rise in local politics is like surviving a snake pit.

Veteran politicians say that it’s tougher to win local electoral battles than in the national level. We doff our hat to the successful players because they have survived, hurdled and ducked the swipes and arrows, the stabs and torpedoes of outrageous fortune, and remained scathed, yes, but unbowed.

Resuello’s case from the very start of his entry to political life was bound to be tough and rough. Why? Because he does not belong to an entrenched political family. He doesn’t have a fortress nor a political machinery strong enough to shield him from enemy blows.

The guy, however, has innate traits and a stout heart that, given enough democratic space, could catapult him to the highest political stars.

Late last year – or was it the other year? — He was “crucified” in a national television show. “Imbestigador” exposed his human frailties, excesses and weaknesses. A lot of Pangasinan televiewers who saw the show, however, were turned off, and instead of cursing Resuello, they were sympathetic because the expose feasted on a human weakness that had nothing to do with his official duties.

 It may not be easy to pin him down just like that. One reason is that as mayor of San Carlos City, he has done a lot.

Today, under his 9 years of stewardship, the city has shown great potential for a grand socio economic take-off.  Its villages have been rid of criminal elements. Its poblacion has new skyline which has effectively dumped its old image of “crime city” or “rural city” and “moribund city.”             

Its new city look conjures business, investments, hustle and bustle, cash register, hope, vibrance.  Business speculators are eyeing the city for future investments. There is a perception San Carlos City was going to give Dagupan City a run for its money.

But alas, that will probably have to wait in light of a number of charges “a group of Pangasinenses” have filed against him.

A couple of months back,  the city, once  flood-prone, put one over the other cities and towns in the province’s  flood zone  because it has  tamed the Agno River  with its well applauded dredging program. When informed of the city’s successful flood formula, the national government through Public Works and Highways Sec. Ebdane asked the other LGUs nationwide to replicate it in their own respective turfs.

The news story says “a group of Pangasinenses” (ano kayang grupo ito? has asked the ombudsman to suspend Mayor Resuello for “graft, gross abuse of authority and falsification of public documents.”

Resuello and his staff should welcome the charges and, if possible, go out of their way to help the investigators ferret out the truth.

There is a thin line between achievement and failure. With his  track record  of scaling victory after victory in business, politics and  other life challenges, Resuello should find  the suspension move by “a group of Pangasinenses” (that phrase!) another chance to prove who is right and who is wrong. For all that Mayor Jolly might not know, all this could be his baptism in high politics that great politicians and statesmen are made of.       

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 NOTES:  Most of the popularity surveys about wanabes for Pangasinan governor show Vice Governor Oscar Lamibo ahead in a runaway fashion. How explain? Answer: Because with Governor Victor Agabayani out, Lambino is the closest to the governor’s slot. Lambino’s problem, however, is that Agbayani, we hear, is not vacating his seat, no, not yet,  as he is preparing  his wife, Dr. Jamie, as his successor. Is our cumpadre Oca an outsider looking in?

Sigaw’s Raul Lambino looks ecstatic. Has he read the writing on the wall?   Congratulate him for another laurel he has added to his name though. We are withholding   the info lest the great University of Pangasinan chairman Czar Duque suspended us for spilling the beans……. Congrats to Dr. Macky and Councilor Chito Samson for University of Luzon’s victories in sport and a ladderized level for its college of criminology.

(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/think-about-it/)

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