Shame and scandal in the family

By Herbert Vego

IN Davao City, there is a family with much confusion as you will see. There is a papa and a daughter plus Bong and Bongbong who want to take over the palace by the river.

Obviously, we are talking of President Rodrigo Duterte and his daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio, who have emerged in the political horizon as probable “enemies” for the position of vice-president in election 2022; and of Digong’s loyal “alalay”, Sen. Bong Go, pitted against Bongbong Marcos, among others, for president.

How dare dad and his only daughter would cross swords?

OMG, their common supporters would slap their faces to awaken from a bad dream. Their trolls would be at a loss for words to extoll them both. But it is not a dream, folks.

There is still time today – deadline for substitution of candidates – for the conflict to be resolved. But it is easier said than done.

We all know now what happened on Saturday: Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio withdrew her re-election candidacy for mayor and filed a certificate of candidacy (COC) for vice-president. while Go withdrew from the vice-presidential race to run for president by substituting for Grepor Belgica.

According to Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar, Duterte would file his COC for vice-president today via substitution.

It would surely be an “unthinkable” reality for father and daughter to clash.

Anyway, Sara is firm on her position on Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. as her candidate for president. There is no love lost between her and Bong Bo.

Some people would say Sara could not “stomach” running under a mere “alalay” of his dad.  By no stretch of the imagination would Bong win more votes than Bongbong.

The bigger issue is why Sara had agreed to be mere running mate of Bongbong when it’s she whom his dad had “anointed” successor. The Sara-Bongbong team-up – not the other way around — had long been etched in their supporters’ mind.

Well, Bongbong or BBM had already firmed up his mind not to play second fiddle to Sara; and the latter has probably never imagined herself inheriting the “throne” and fending off all the consequential graft-and-corruption charges against her father with his presidential immunity from suit taken away.

Moreover, Sara had monitored the overwhelming public acclaim for the “pink” presidential candidate, Vice-President Leni Robredo.  So, why not let the obsessed BBM fight the uphill battle?

Methinks that with BBM unwilling to slide down, the outgoing President would have preferred a Sara-Manny Pacquiao tandem – probably the reason why he asked him to come to Malacanang.  Pacquiao having hit Duterte for “graft and corruption,” no person in his right mind would see the meeting as a “talk over Mindanao matters”.

Of course, the boxer – who might have wished for Digong’s support — would not play running mate to Sara. He would not back out of his presidential “destiny”.

The problem between father and daughter has lingered since the day she filed her COC for re-election as Davao City mayor. It was no doubt against her father’s intention for her and Bong Go to run for president and vice-president, respectively. But she opted to file a COC for re-election.

That explains why Senators Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and Bong Go filed COCs for the above respective positions on October 8. Contrary to Bato’s claim, he was not a mere “panakip-butas” although he admitted willingness to back out in favor of Sara.

Based on her track record, it is hard to imagine Sara changing her mind. She had in the past “overruled” the strongman. Remember when she manipulated the ouster of then-Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez to have former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as “instant” replacement? Also, the unseating of Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano so that her choice, Lord Allan Velasco, could sit?

As regards the idea that former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has been running the show of Sara, I beg to disagree. As presidential daughter, she is the only woman who could displease the President without fear.

Incidentally, didn’t Rep. Joey Salceda promise to die if Sarah refuses to run for President?

Maawa ka sa sarili mo, Joey.

-oOo-

POWER SUSTAINABILITY ASSURED

OUR good friend at the Iloilo City Sangguniang Panglunsod (SP) Atty. Rommel Duron, could not ask for more. MORE Power president and chief operating officer Roel Z. Castro had said enough in a no-holds-barred presentation at the SP session hall.

I agree.  But while I had briefly discussed this matter in a previous column, let me discuss clarify further the salient points raised with regard to a possible expansion of the company’s power-distribution coverage from Iloilo City to a number of surrounding towns that could not be adequately serviced by the three branches of the Iloilo Electric Cooperative.

Having heard Sir Roel’s lecture, I wondered why he mentioned only P1.3 billion as the company’s capital expenditure, since an expansion would entail addition, instead of subtraction.  Hadn’t he previously mentioned “P1.9”?

Fortunately, MORE spokesman Jonathan Cabrera – incidentally now the leading candidate for vice-governor of Aklan – was kind enough to shed light on the accuracy of both figures.

“MORE had applied for P1.9,” he wrote but the Energy Regulatory Commission [ERC] initially approved P1.3 just recently.”

The amount as allocated by billionaire Enrique K. Razon (MORE chairman) is aimed at modernizing the company’s operation in its first five years.

Needless to say, the approved amount may rise as the need arises.

Let us recall that the clamor for MORE to expand originated from the people of Pavia, and subsequently from other towns, which became the basis for Rep. Mike Gorriceta (2^nd district) and co-sponsors to file a bill to expand power coverage outside Iloilo City.

It is now public knowledge that the bill, which has passed third reading in the House of Representatives, seeks to expand MORE Power’s existing franchise coverage into the towns of Alimodian, Leganes, New Lucena, Pavia, San Miguel, Santa Barbara, and Zarraga (2nd district), and to Anilao, Banate, Barotac Nuevo, Dingle, Dueñas, Dumangas, and San Enrique as well as Passi City (4th district).

Obviously, public clamor for MORE stems not only from the affordability of its rates but from its efficiency of service in its first one year and eight months – counting from February 29 when it replaced Panay Electric Co. (PECO) as the city’s distribution utility.

In that short period, paying customers have grown from 63,000 to 83,000-plus.  It’s because hitherto illegal connections have been dismantled, forcing pilferers to legalize or face charges in court.

To accommodate that fast growth, the company has fast-tracked upgrading of five substations in Jaro, Lapaz, Mandurriao, Molo and City Proper that were already exceeding the 70 percent safe load level; and added a temporary mobile station in the new Megaworld area.  An additional one or two more permanent substations are expected to shape up.

All of the 21 electromechanical relays have been replaced with digital ones which have wider protection settings and monitoring accessibility.

Summing up, the company has decreased electricity rates, the frequency and duration of outages, illegal connections and system’s loss; and increased the number of consumers, the capacity of substations, investment on capital facilities, on manpower and engagement with the community.