Antique’s politicians are like puppets

By Herbert Vego

A puppet politician is one under the control of a more powerful politician.  There seems to be a number of these puppets in Antique who are no longer happy with the way their movers sway them. They are not capable of deciding for themselves.

The “uniteam” of Governor Rhodora “Dodod” Cadiao and Congressman Antonio Agapito “AA” Legarda has collapsed even if it could have been avoided just by swapping positions to run for in 2025. Hence, the “graduating” governor has to run for congresswoman.

Alas, AA could not trade places because his sister, Senator Loren Legarda, would not want him to.  Therefore, he would have to defend his House seat against the lady.

Obviously, it all stems from the rumored “tampuhan” between Dodod and Loren.

Now, with Dodod turning coat from the National Unity Party (NUP) to President Marcos’ Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), her political survival now depends on party decision. She has lost the freedom to choose her choice, incumbent Vice-Governor Edgar Denosta, to be the party’s gubernatorial candidate. Ay ahay!

In this column two weeks ago, I echoed an informant’s “scoop” that the party had already chosen Jonathan Tan to be “the one”. But now it appears that former Congressman Paolo Javier, earlier reported to be Tan’s running mate for vice-governor, would rather run for governor, too.  Oh, well, depende kuno sa desisyon ni First Lady Liza?

Denosta, on the other hand, is not giving up his gubernatorial ambition. He would run anyway.

Assuming Maritess was not joking when she talked to us, the Legarda group is interested in adopting Denosta to be its bet for the capitol post.  Kasi survey shows Denosta kuno stronger than their first choice, former Valderrama mayor Ray Roquero. Ha?

I find that hard to believe.  No less than former Governor Sally Zaldivar Perez, the person closest to Loren, has assured this writer that Roquero is the “final answer”.

What say ya, Joe Escartin?

-oOo-

TREÑAS GOES TO MALACAÑANG

IT was not surprising that Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas, who had led the campaign for presidential candidate Leni Robredo in 2022, paid a visit to President Bongbong Marcos in Malacañang recently. He is already a member of Marcos’ Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP).

But our neighbors are asking whether he went there to seek the intercession of the President because of his broken alliance with Congresswoman Jam-jam Baronda, who is obviously singing her way to the Marcos camp despite that break-up. Despite previous reports that she would not be running for re-election to give way to the mayor’s daughter Raisa, all signs point otherwise.

For example, Jam-jam has already hired broadcasters for her block-time radio programs. Apparently, she has raised sufficient funds to fight her former enabler, initially through the media.

I don’t believe the mayor ever discussed with Marcos his problem with the congresswoman. As already reported, he did not go to Malacañang for any purpose but to join other “Federalists” break bread with Marcos, among whom were Guimaras Governor Raman Nava, Bacolod City Mayor Albee Benitez and Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama.

Hmm, are we hearing enterprising barangay captains sing “Happy days are here again”?

-oOo-

LESSER BILL FOR MORE

FOR the just-ended billing month (June 18, 2024 to July 12, 2024), household customers of MORE Electric and Power Corp. (MORE Power) in Iloilo City need not be surprised why they are charged a lower bill of P8.7749 per kilowatt-hour despite the rising cost of everything else.

It’s because of the deferment of a portion of the generation charge, in compliance with an Energy Regulatory Commission’s (ERC) order aimed at easing the impact of high electricity bills due to increased WESM generation charges.

Due to this deferment, however, a portion of the WESM generation cost will be charged on installment, added to the July, August, and September 2024 bills.

But– who knows? — baka bababa pa rin. Pray tayo.