A CANDIDATE’S CAMPAIGN SIDELIGHTS: A WARNING FROM A SUFFERING PEOPLE

As a keen observer and student of politics, I was endlessly amazed by the sight of thousands of people who gathered for our rally in Makilala yesterday.

The presence of an estimated 8,000 residents of Makilala was like a declaration of an uprising and a revolt against the current political leadership of the town.

Officials of the town led by Mayor Rudy Caoagdan who is running unopposed have been pressuring the people of Makilala to vote for the incumbent Governor, even to the extent of telling people that their membership in the government’s anti-poverty program, 4Ps, would be cut off if they vote for Manny Pinol.

Yesterday, in an attempt to sabotage our rally, local officials arranged beach parties for the people in the barangays offering them free food and transportation.

It may have enticed some but thousands came to the rally yesterday.

They were the people whose children could not go to college this year because of the plummeting prices of rubber cuplumps and copra and the state of the economy of the town and the province which has once again been listed as one of the 16 provinces in the Philippines.

The statistics could still be debated on but the emotions and the anger of the people expressed yesterday were incontrovertible evidence that indeed the people are suffering.

As a political observer, I believe that what happened in Makilala yesterday, when people openly defied their political leaders, should be taken by the incumbent officials as a clear warning of the things to come in 2016.

The political leaders of the town, especially Mayor Caoagdan, are taking a reckless political gamble which could affect their political fortunes in the coming elections.

“Sige mi nila ug hulga ug pugos. Magkita ra mi karong barangay election ug sa sunod nga election,” said a local resident who was apparently angered by the pressure exerted by the local officials on the people. (They keep on threatening and forcing us. We will see each other during the barangays elections and the next elections.)

The incumbent officials of Makilala are risking their political capital for very little financial gain: P10-M which was downloaded by the provincial government to the town of Makilala a few months ago for dubious projects which could soon become a subject of an investigation by the Commission on Audit.

As the old saying goes: “Repentance comes last.”