Political scenarios in Dagupan City

By Gonzalo Duque

SOME of my friends called up to say that my column article last week was not in tune with my fiery style.

Forgive me, but my topic then was education, and the seriousness of the subject compelled me to be formal and somewhat textbook-like.

And so, in deference to my faithful readers who love the punchy type, here I am.

If you are a Dagupeño and  salivating its  political scrambles, I mean, you want to know  who is running for mayor, vice mayor, not so much with councilor simply because  the elections are  coming closer and closer, you might want  to play the role of a crystal  gazer, analyst, pundit, broker, proposer, and what-not.

In my book titled “The Duke” (my version of Nicolo Machiavelli’s “The Prince”), Mayor Benjie Lim will not make good his threat to run for congressman.

Manny Roy, the top political analyst of Calasiao and Dagupan told me: “Pare Gons, why don’t you study Benjie’s body language? Very easy to read.

Yes, Manny can read Benjie like a pocketbook (underlined word is Money’s specialty)

Those who say Benjie is “shallow” or bobo for telling everybody that he is running against Speaker Joe de Venecia to pressure  Joe de V to  pressure   BI Commissioner Al Fernandez not to fight  him (Benjie) and just  sustain the LIFE Team  because it is too risky to fight the very popular  Fernandez ( especially Al) should think again.

Benjie, by this time, is no longer a push-over in political positioning. Nagkasungay na yan! The guy won’t settle for a Lim for mayor just like that. He will ask for more.

What is the “more?” He will, Manny says, propose a Benjie Lim-Brian Lim father and son mayoral tandem.

Susmariosep! Matindi?

Not so. Because in Benjie’s mind, the Fernandez father and son will always kowtow to Joe de V’s dictate.

The other scenario is a Cabinet post for Benjie so he won’t disturb Joe de V…  This scenario, however, might not work because the little big girl, Ate Glo, will not buy it what with the mayor’s savage attacks against GMA telling her to resign.

There is a third scenario: the Vice Mayor Alvin Fernandez – former Vice Mayor Teddy Manaois team under Lakas versus Benjie Lim-Jojo Guadiz tandem of the opposition (FPJ’s and former President Erap’s part.)

Don’t discount this because Erap, despite his incarceration, has managed to stay popular.

And, here’s the fourth scenario: Benjie Lim bahala na will run against JDV. He won’t be sure of winning; of course, fact is he is secretly wishing that a JDV-BSL clash won’t materialize.

But Benjie can tolerate a defeat under Joe de V. It won’t be painful kung ang tumalo sa kanya ay pader.

It would be painful if he loses in a mayoralty fight against any of the Fernandez father and son.

 In this “Benjie for congress” win or loss scenario, Manny Roy says the mayoralty scene could be Gonzalo Duque-Alvin Fernandez against any taker.

That’s what Manny Roy is saying, but I refuse to bite.

If I am out because I have already made a decision not to enter politics again, it would be an Alvin Fernandez-Michael Fernandez team, or Alvin Fernandez-Jojo Guadiz team.

What do you say, Councilor Chito?

(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/playing-with-fire/)

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