JDV’s solomonic wisdom needed

By Jun Velasco

WHY is there too much madness in elections?

Take a look. Running for public office these days is no longer governed by the old rules where talent, merit, and well, experience were rewarded with victory.

Mind you, a sizable public have become cynical about the elections, they’d even  mock it by selling their votes saying after all they won’t  profit from it —  or worse, the nation won’t  profit from it and so  while there’s hay, take a bite of the meat.

Someone asked: at what point of our history did the three G’s (guns, goons and gold) begin to rule Philippine elections?      

And there’s a new one, cheat. So what kind of game are we playing, gentlemen and ladies?

You might wonder how the young man and the lady you had thought were epitome of propriety are playing politics in all its craziest trappings.

There are times – probably our sanest moment – when we felt like boycotting the elections because of the given factors. But that would be against the law and the constitution. But a boycott is an expression of one’s choice, isn’t it?

Ahh, that settles the issue. No one anyway would see what we’d write on the ballot, no?

*          *          *

We’d like to thank Mayor Benjie Lim who surprised us in our little get-together last January 27. Our Gonz Duque was as usual the punchline in the party but  when no one was looking staged a French leave, missing the mayor’s  excellent repertoire ala Michael Bublé that impressed no end balikbayan Dan Nino, who motored to Dagupan after the inclement weather dampened  the Mangatarem fiesta coronation.

We told Benjie we first met Dan at then Congressman Joe de Venecia’s suite at the Manila Hotel sometime in the pre-martial law era. Dan, who was an officer of his university’s student council, led a group to invite JDV as their induction and ball guest speaker.

The mayor was surprised to find Dan, who is employed in the US federal government in Los Angeles, youthful, vibrant and witty. Dan, whom we hired as our assistant in a De Venecia affiliate research group in 1980, doubles as a journalist in L.A. and was president of the Los Angeles Press Club when we visited him in l992.

Benjie, Commissioner Al Fernandez, JDV and Al Mendoza do not fail to ring up Dan at his LA home whenever they are in the US.       

  It’s a kindred soul’s affair, and we hope to keep it that way.

*         *          *

The other day, we received an overseas call from Dr. Fer Estrada and his beauteous wife, the former Nancy Cornista, from Pennsylvania.

What’s the big news, Nancy? It’s this: Hubby Fer’s group in UP Diliman during their studentship is coming to Pangasinan to campaign for – don’t look now – Arturo Lomibao, who, Nancy said, has been making speeches among Pangasinenses in the US  for his political bid.

Nancy says Art was making waves in the Pangasinan community adding he is “a knockout  speaker,” describing him napakabait, warm, friendly, charismatic, has a great vision for Pangasinan, track record in public service, excellent mixer, reading genius, philosopher, brilliant, brotherly.”

We cautioned the Estradas that Art should campaign in Pangasinan, not in the US, and they said he was coming home anytime now to just do that.

How’s this, pare Spines? What struck us after Nancy’s “campaign speech” for Art was that if what she said was true then Pangasinan will have two former military officers running for governor. In that case, the gubernatorial equation gets narrowed down to Dr. Louise Jamie Agbayani and Vice Gov. Oscar Lambino

Governor Victor had formally announced his wife’s political entry, with him as campaign manager.

Oscar Lambino has lately deplored his party, Lakas, for turning a deaf ear to his treatise that being co-chair of Lakas who nurtured the party when nobody was minding it, he should be given the blessings of the equity-of-the-incumbent rule, since Victor is not in contention. But Vic has married Jamie, and they are now one and the same, goes Valentine’s line.

We need Joe de V’s “Solomonic” wisdom on this account.

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

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