By ERWIN ‘AMBO’ DELILAN
THE DRAMA, suspense, and mind-boggling moves are over for Bacolod City politics.
Billionaire Mayor Albee Benitez is no longer running for mayor. He is returning to Congress. He slid (not switched) to give way to the term-limited Lone District congressman Greg Gasataya to headline Team Asenso Bacolod.
On the other side, it’s Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran with running mate Councilor Renecito Novero for mayor and vice mayor, respectively. Theirs is Team El Cid.
Facing Albee in seeking a congressional seat is former mayor Bing Leonardia, whom he beat in the 2022 elections for mayor. But this time, Bing shocked Bacoleños for filing his certificate of candidacy (COC) alone – sans allies beside him.
A lot of intrigues have started milling around Bacolod. Why is Albee supporting Greg when his formidable political ally, Abang Lingkod party-list’s Cong. Joseph Stephen Paduano, commonly known as “Carapali Lualhati”, is supporting El Cid?
Albee says he trusts Greg. Meaning he is supporting Greg, not El Cid.
In the other corner, El Cid is confident in saying that 90% of his supporters are from Albee’s camp. His campaign manager, Carapali, is telling the media that Albee knows his move, and that the latter is also supporting El Cid. Puzzling, right?
Albee, Carapali, Greg, El Cid and Bing – the main political characters in Bacolod – seem to be having a new game of “Iwas-Buking”. Bacolod is kinda into political quiz bee, a new guessing game.
And the questions hard to answer include the following:
* Are Albee and Carapali at war right now? Or they’re enemies really?
* Can Carapali afford to go astray against Albee?
* If Albee supports Greg and Carapali endorses El Cid, what’s the game?
* Are Greg and El Cid comfortable with the set up?
* Whose promise will prevail, or be realized during election time – will it be Albee’s or Carapali’s?
BING’S POLITICAL INGENUITY
Another quiz bee is on Bing’s political ingenuity deep to fathom, too. He filed his COC alone, which was shocking.
Bing, ever since, is a “party man”. His Grupo Progreso (GP) was once a formidable local group for having famous political alumni. But now, why alone?
* What is Bing’s motive?
* Why is he beyond confident being alone? What’s the logic behind?
* Is it true that Bing is open to negotiate with anyone – Greg or El Cid?
* What’s the feeling of GP alumni seeing Bing a “lone ranger” now?
QUESTIONS FOR ALBEE
Here are some intriguing questions hounding Albee’s decision to discontinue seeking reelection despite his present stature – billionaire and a runaway winner last 2022 elections with more than 60,000 vote margin over Bing.
* Did Albee know that Bacoleños were frustrated with his “over promises, under deliveries”?
* That running for congressman is the safest move to avoid a head-on collision with Greg, who has now a well-entrenched political machinery?
* That both commissioned and non-commissioned surveys validated and revalidated by a premier university in the country show that he will definitely lose to Greg as 94% of the survey respondents say they prefer Greg over him?
* That Albee is terribly affected by some issues-turned-brouhahas that rocked his more than two-year-old administration?
Well, Albee has no choice but to address these questions-slash-speculations.
Too, he wants to be closer to Manila, to Malacañang to gather more resources and investments needed to make Bacolod a “Super City”.
Besides, he has trust in Greg to continue what he had started already in Bacolod.
Whatever the reasons behind, and the questions playing in the minds of everyone, one thing’s sure: Bacolod will have a new set of leaders after May 12, 2025.
New set, but same faces for sure./PN
