‘Chopsuey’ politics in Antique

By Herbert Vego

THE sudden visit of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in San Jose, Antique on Thursday – ostensibly to extend financial and technical assistance to farmers and fisherfolk – must have influenced Governor Rhodora “Dodod” Cadiao to “overhaul” her political line-up for the 2025 election.

She has to, since she is somersaulting from the National Unity Party (NUP) to Marcos’ Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP). Unless our informant is lying, she would be flying to Malacañang Palace soon to take her oath.

Being a “graduating” governor, she would need the real McCoy’s support for her next destination – the House of Representatives.

This means that she would have to unseat her hitherto political ally, Congressman Antonio Agapito “AA” Legarda, a brother of Sen. Loren Legarda. Incidentally, Dodod and Loren now appear in the public eye as “friends no more”.

The forthcoming Dodod-AA clash may yet be aborted should AA swap “run for” positions with her. But, sad to say, AA would rather not. So, matira ang matibay. 

If possible, Dodod would be biting her elbows now for having aligned herself with a “stranger from Malabon” rather than with a “tumandok,” Atty. Ade Fajardo, in 2022. Ade lost to AA for the House seat.

Another powerful woman politician in Antique, former Governor Sally Zaldivar Perez, would be supporting AA.

Cadiao’s turn-coating is not without casualties among her incumbent allies, notably Vice-Governor Edgar Denosta, whom she had “anointed” to be her gubernatorial bet. Ay ahay, dropped like a hot potato ka Ed?

Allegedly under pressure from Malacañang, she would have to replace Denosta with Jonathan Tan, an ex-mayor of Pandan. Pampalubag-loob yata ito ni BBM kay Tantan.

You see, Marcos had earlier kicked out Tan from his “juicy” post as chairman and administrator of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) for only eight months, and replaced him with “local boy” Eduardo Aliño – the rich chairperson of the Subic Yacht Club and owner of the Subic Bay Grains Terminal.

If our informant was not lying, the scorned Denosta could not take Dodod’s change of heart.  He would still run as an independent candidate for governor.

That would pit him against Tan and probably three other strong gubernatorial wannabes, namely Ray Roquero (a former mayor of Valderrama), Julian Pacificador Jr. (former mayor of Hamtic) and shipping mogul Vicente Fedelicio. A five-cornered fight kon matabo.

Expected to be running mates for vice-governor of “governorables” Roquero, Denosta and Fedelicio are incumbent Sangguniang Panlalawigan members Maye Plameras , Rose Dimamay and Pio Sumande, respectively.

Among the three SP members, only Sumande labels himself “poor”. Oh, well, it could be true, but so are most Antiqueño voters.

Don’t you agree, Amigo Joe Escartin?

-oOo-

COAL IS NOT FOREVER

IN a radio interview with Niel Parcon, MORE Power’s vice-president for corporate energy sourcing and regulatory affairs, he told this writer that while they now patronize solar power as alternative fuel, it is still not sustainable during non-sunny days.

Without sunlight, it may use a storage battery but it may not last beyond four to five hours. Given time, however, it has a sustainable potential.

In fact, billionaire Enrique Razon, who is chairman of MORE Power which plays the role of power distributor in Iloilo City, is now into development of solar farms for solar panels.

Right now, our power industry largely depends on coal. According to energy think-tank Ember, the Philippines is the 7^th of the top 10 economies that are most dependent on coal-fired power, surpassing neighbor Indonesia.

However, the global coal market experienced supply shortage following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, consequently raising its prices.