GUBERNATORIAL aspirant Cong. Ferj Biron looks like he is in a quandary. The recent incident involving Guimbal, Iloilo mayor Oscar Garin and son Cong. Richard is giving him a headache.
So much had been written about the incident; doing my own personal assessment whether unfavorable or not would just add fuel to the fire. Will it make me a hero? Will it make me richer? Will it make me famous? Definitely not.
Father and son are nowhere to be found, for a good reason: their security. I’d rather leave it to the proper authorities to resolve the incident. It’s political in nature. So let politics do the walking. After all, no less than the most powerful entity, the President of the Republic himself, has finally spoken.
Gubernatorial aspirant Ferj Biron, however, shows he has the quality of a strong leader and proves he is no pushover. It never entered his mind to forsake the Garins despite the gargantuan adverse media coverage from Aparri to Jolo. Biron could have a valid reason to drop the father and son like a hot potato but it is not in his character to abandon a friend or an ally in distress.
For supporting Biron, the Garins also put their reputation at stake, not withstanding their long, friendly alliance with incumbent Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. There never was bad blood between these two families. They have been politically supportive of each other, no one can refute this.
There was a time they joined forces against the late Gov. Niel D. Tupas Sr., contesting his incumbency in 2004. It was a good and honest fight between Oscar Garin and the old man. Gentleman that he is, Garin conceded to his nemesis in a friendly manner. He may have lost the battle but he and Tupas remained genuine political friends.
Former vice governor Obet Armada also had his taste of losing a battle – running against Niel D. Tupas Sr. when the later was on his third and last term as governor in 2007. This was the time Tupas almost lost his position (remember the “capitol siege”, considered the “darkest era” in Iloilo’s political history). There was “people power’ but on a smaller scale. To make the story short, Tupas remained in his post and came out victorious against Armada.
Obet Armada didn’t make personal his political differences with the Tupases. They remained true friends until his death in 2015.
Congressman Biron, perhaps taking a cue from the wisdom of the late Gov. Niel D. Tupas Sr., stood his ground; he is sticking it out with the Garins.
When in doubt, Biron perhaps could only lean on a biblical passage: “Those without sins may cast the first stone.” There is no reason for the Garins to doubt him.
Biron stands by his men. (roblesnelson339@yahoo.com/PN)
