Iloilo Loses Political Luster

By Alex P. Vidal 

“Home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names, and impossible loyalties!” —Matthew Arnold

ILOILO—the city and province—used to grab headlines in the national broadsheets and broadcast networks during the elections owing to quality of aspirants and intense rivalries among candidates for provincial governor, city mayor, congressman.

Not anymore. If not for the cumbersome social media and uncanny intervention of oligarchs, no one would be interested about the characters seeking public office in the once politically mighty and illustrious city and province of Iloilo.

Gone were the years when the Ilonggos have Olive Lopez-Padilla vs Simplicio “Sim” Griño, Neil Tupas Sr. versus Arthur “Art” Defensor Sr., Oscar “Oca” Garin versus Tupas Sr., Ferjenel “Ferj” Biron vs Arthur “Toto” Defensor Jr. for governor, to name only a few.

Rodolfo Ganzon versus Rafael “Paeng” Lopez-Vito, Raul “Sir Raul” Gonzalez Sr. versus Salvador “Buddy” Britanico for Iloilo City congressman; Mansueto “Mansing” Malabor versus Geronimo “Jerry” Treñas, Malabor versus Victor “Vic” Facultad; Jed Patrick Mabilog versus Raul Gonzalez Sr. for Iloilo City mayor, to name only a few.

Goliaths. Big guns. Major leagues. Big screens. Titans. Heavyweights. Competitive. Those were the years.

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Today, or on May 12, 2025, Ilongos have to contend with Arthur “Toto” Defensor Jr. (incumbent) versus Mary Frances Chloe Noble (independent) for Iloilo governor; Raisa Treñas-Chu versus Roland Magahin for Iloilo City mayor; and Julienne “Jamjam” Baronda (incumbent) versus Mel Carreon (independent). Never mind those running for the 12-seat city council and the provincial board. In times like this, we don’t add insult to the electorate’s injury.

The congressional combats in Iloilo Province’s first, second, third, fourth, third, and fifth districts are also downright lackluster, unappealing and unappetizing.

Except in the battle for vice governor of Iloilo where heartthrob Raul “Buboy” Tupas, outgoing Iloilo 5^th district representative, will be put to a severe test by newcomer but charismatic Anilao Mayor Nathalie Ann Debuque.

The absence of quality oppositions or quality competitions in the upcoming midterm elections has virtually erased the political luster Iloilo once enjoyed when compared to rivalries in other provinces and cities in the country.

The mushrooming of political dynasties that didn’t spare Iloilo and the electoral system’s peripherality could be the reason why there is now a significant decline or dearth of quality aspirants for elective positions.

The merging or coalition of ruling and well-entrenched political parties and realignment of bandwagons have practically shut the door on high-level electoral competitions where the electorate can pick from among the best, the brightest, and the most qualified candidates.

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IN a scale of one to 10, I rate 8 the performance of talkative and pugnacious former President Rodrigo Roa “Digong” Duterte in the recent Senate blue ribbon committee hearing. In other words, he passed—according to my assessment.

With his dizzying rhetorics, Mr. Duterte, perhaps a born troublemaker, was able to almost outwit his adversaries during the tension-filled and expletive-laden committee investigation into the previous administration’s war on drugs.

Senators Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and Christopher “Bong” Go, two clowns identified as Mr. Duterte’s lapdogs, also got a high mark of 7 apiece; again, according to my own assessment.

I also give 8 to intrepid and truly remarkable Senator Riza Hontiveros, who was able to rattle and send shiver down the Davao City mad man’s spine for brief moments.

The lowest mark of 5 apiece went to Senators Jinggoy Estrada, Joel Villanueva, and former senator Leila de Lima, who was reduced to a Lilliputian because she was no longer a senator and had to endure the insults from harebrained Estrada.

 

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TABOO MOVES THAT DRIVE MEN LOCO WITH LUST: 1. Try a bit of bondage 2. Give him a peep show 3. Handle his package 4. Have stranger sex 5. Test-drive twisty 6. Plan a sneak attack 7. ONE TIP: “Do it in various parts of your house, since it will force you to accommodate your positions to different obstacles.” (Source: Cosmo Web Poll)

Twelve years ago, or on October 28, 2012, I attended the Toronto 33rd International Festival of Author (IFOA) in Ontario, Canada. From testable hypotheses to leaps of the fantastic, writers discussed what happens when science blurs with fiction and fantasy. Lorna Toolis hosted and moderated the discussion that featured authors Ned Beauman, Hiromi Goto and Robert J. Sawyer.

 

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)