IT’S GAME over but the shouting and we have a clear winner and it’s Mayor Joe Espinosa III.
Well, that is if the mayoralty elections in “I Am Iloilo City” are decided by the raising of the candidate’s hand by presidential daughter Davao City mayor Sara Duterte.
To be declared winner and mayor of “I Am Iloilo City” by virtue of the hand-raising nonsense by the presidential daughter, such must be the latest and properly documented with photo-ops of course.
And based on documentary evidence, i.e. the front page of Panay News, then Mayor Joe Espinosa III has the latest hand-raising event, making him the obvious winner.
Here are excerpts from the March 7, 2019 issue of Panay News:
INDAY SARA RAISES JOE’S HAND
Presidential daughter Sara Duterte, the mayor of Davao City, raised the hand of Mayor Jose Espinosa III during a meeting yesterday in Las Piñas City, Metro Manila. Was that an endorsement of Espinosa?
“I am humbled by Mayor Sara’s action and cognizant of the importance of our meeting,” said Espinosa who is running for mayor this May 13 midterm elections.
The two city chief executives met at a gathering of Hugpong ng Pagbabago, a broad political alliance that Duterte formed last year.
Sen. Cynthia Villar and husband, former senator Manny Villar, hosted the meeting.
Espinosa is running under the Nacionalista Party (NP) led by the Villars.
The NP has formed an alliance with Hugpong ng Pagbabago.
“I am honored by Mayor Sara’s support,” said Espinosa who is running for mayor for the first time.
Espinosa said he was also appreciative of the presidential daughter’s agreeing to pose with him before the camera and flash the No. 1 sign.
Just last week, Feb. 24, President Rodrigo Duterte confirmed that his daughter is now calling the shots on the political decisions of the First Family.
In a speech in Cebu City, the President Duterte said there were several decisions that took him by surprise but he can’t do anything since his daughter had planned for it.
“Si Inday na lang naay buot ron. Kontrolado na ni Inday (Inday Sara is in control),” he said.
Espinosa also thanked Senator Villar whom he called “my mentor” for the meeting with Mayor Duterte yesterday.
That is unless the other candidates i.e. Pacita Gonzalez and Mel Carreon can come up, after this, with their own hand-raising stunts.
If by some funny twist of fate “somebody up there” decides to play a cruel joke and choreograph a hand-raising event with Mayor Sara Duterte together with any of these two then it’s more fun in “I Am Iloilo City”.
Of course these two were never seriously considered in the running and might not even reach the finish line.
Yes, I know some people will cry foul or “democracy is dead”, “assault on press freedom” and other nonsense citing the fact that Cong. Geronimo Treñas a.k.a. Jerry Treñas has also his hand-raising event with the presidential daughter and is well-documented with billboards and tarpaulins although I could not confirm if it made the front page of any local newspaper.
That is true and I can confirm that because everytime I go jogging in La Paz Plaza I see the almost faded billboard of Congressman Treñas with his hand being raised by Mayor Sara Duterte.
Unfortunately for the loyal supporters of Congressman Treñas, that hand-raising event happened sometime last year and bearing in mind that for any mayoralty candidate of “I Am Iloilo City” to win the post via the prestigious hand-raising nonsense, the said event must be the latest.
And with that alone, Mayor Joe Espinosa III wins not by the proverbial length of a mile but by the full marathon distance of 26.219 miles or 42.195 kilometers.Unless of course Congressman Treñas digs deep, and I don’t mean his pockets (rumor has it that they’re indeed very deep) but his stamina, drawing inner strength from his magnificent “dad bod”, and surges ahead in the last kilometres with his latest hand raising event with presidential daughter fully documented, of course with matching billboards and tarpaulins.
If that indeed happens then Congressman Treñas snatches the race and goes to the winner’s podium. Of course it’s a big if.
And what about Rommel Ynion? Is he even in the running? I heard he’s not and he just recently proclaimed himself “retired” without winning anything…ahay./PN
