Baronda goes ‘pink’

By Herbert Vego

SOMETIME in October 2021 or five months ago, this corner lauded Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas for declaring her support for Vice-Pres. Leni Robredo, who had just filed her certificate of candidacy (COC) for President.

I quoted his explanation as posted on Twitter, “I have known Vice President Leni for a long time. She has always been supportive of our projects here in Iloilo City.”

By then, his party – the National Unity Party (NUP) – had not yet declared its official choice for President.  Thus, Treñas risked being booted out of NUP.  But, of course, he knew that his local party, Uswag, could catapult him to re-election without logistics from NUP.

Truth to tell, the city mayor had supported Leni for vice-president in 2016.  Both were then with the Liberal Party (LP).

Robredo remains a member of LP even if she had written “independent” on her COC so she could assemble a multi-party team.

Already deafening were unconfirmed reports that the NUP would endorse Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. for President against incumbent Vice President Leni Robredo – sort of a rematch, considering that Robredo had bested him in the vice-presidential race in 2016.

The silence of Iloilo City Congresswoman Julienne “Jam-Jam” Baronda on the mayor’s decision stoked insinuations she would wait and abide by party decision.

And so last Sunday (March 27) when she guested in our talk show, “Tribuna sang Banwa” on Aksyon Radyo, I challenged her to name her candidate for President.

“Leni Robredo,” she snapped.

Wow, that must have sounded like music to the ears of constituents who until then had hesitated to re-elect her.

It was indeed unexpected because, by then, the NUP had released an official statement of support for Marcos.

On the same day that Baronda was in our talk show, however, the print and broadcast media were spreading the news that NUP party president Elpidio Barzaga, the 4th District representative of Cavite, would not toe the party line anymore but would join the Robredo bandwagon, too.

He simplified his reason, quoting VP Leni’s slogan, “Sa gobyernong tapat angat-buhay lahat.”

If you, like me, can no longer count on 10 fingers politicians from other camps who have shifted support to Leni, we have to grow more fingers. What could have attracted them to turn-coat?

If we see them going around in pink clothes, does it mean they love that color? The color pink – to quote Google – “represents friendship, affection, harmony, inner peace, and approachability.” Aren’t they the traits that VP Leni exudes?

More than their sudden “love” for Leni, it’s what they would get from being “kakampink” that must have spurred their change of heart.

Imagine a traditional politician seeing a groundswell of pink in Robredo’s political rally. He at once gets the idea that by turning pink, too, he could win their respect – and votes, too. No need to buy ‘em, huh!

—o—

ADE FAJARDO HAS NO WAY TO GO BUT FORWARD

IN this corner the other day, I opined that only by joining forces could Antique congressional candidates Abdiel Dan “Ade” Fajardo and Antonio Agapito “AA” Legarda scare the hell out of third candidate Paolo Javier.

In other words, Fajardo and Legarda should agree between themselves on only one of them running with the support of the other.

When that column got reprinted on Facebook, a number of readers posted their opposition.  If both are bent on reaching the finish line, one of them wrote, let the voters render the verdict.

By now, with noisy mobile units blaring jingles and campaign ads of both candidates, plus Javier, Antiqueños may judge for themselves on who among them to vote for.

The last time I met with Ade Fajardo for coffee, he candidly said he could not forfeit his chance to lead his province that had been suffering from want despite the richness of its soil and abundance of fish. As a real “tumandok” (native of the province who speaks Kinaray-a) and experienced lawyer, why would he default the opportunity to craft laws beneficial to Antiqueños?

He said he is in good terms with Congresswoman Loren Legarda. If I remember right, she was among the dignitaries who had attended his inauguration as national president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP).

Well, then, if she wanted to, she could have prevailed upon her brother AA to give way. But of course, we are all familiar with the saying, “Blood is thicker than water.”

In fairness, I still think it’s worth resending Loren to the Senate, where she is more at home.