MY FEARLESS forecast is that the UniTeam of presidential and vice presidential wannabes Bongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte will win in Iloilo.
I’m quite sure reading this will probably trigger perverse reactions from some people whose wardrobe were predominantly colored yellow now dyed pink but that’s expected. We are in a democracy and we are all entitled to our own opinion.
It does not really matter if we agree or not. What’s important is that we are still free to express those opinions without fear of being suppressed.
Here are some indications why I say Bongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte will win in Iloilo. Out of the 1,480 mayor-members of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines, 80 percent are confirmed supporting the candidacy of Bongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte, meaning 1,200 mayors. This is where you get real voters and not some imaginary groups like “Dogs for Leni”, “Educators for Leni” or the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) because it’s real voters that make you win elections, not your imaginary voters or pink-colored balloons.
On the local front, Iloilo Province has five districts and the 1st District is the home turf of the politically powerful and influential Garin family. Cong. Janette Garin representing that district has already announced publicly that they are supporting the UniTeam of Bongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte.
Meanwhile in the 4th District, the fiefdom of that filthy rich, powerful and very influential Biron family, they have also cast their support to the BBM/Sara UniTeam. Bearing in mind that throughout the 4th District, all members of the Biron family running for elective post from vice mayor, mayor to congressman are virtually unopposed.
Over at the 5th District, the equally politically powerful and influential Tupas clan is also supporting the BBM/Sara UniTeam.
So that leaves us the 2nd and 3rd districts. For sure since incumbent Iloilo governor Arthur Defensor Jr. and his brother, 3rd District representative Lorenz Defensor, are both supporting that “barefoot pink-clad lady from Naga”, we give the 3rd District to her.
As for the 2nd District, Rep. Michael Gorriceta in an official announcement declared that he is supporting that “barefoot pink-clad lady from Naga”. But I can’t really ascertain if he is as influential in his district as the other political families in their district. I suppose I must be missing something.
Still, three out of five is not bad. In fact it means that you already won. So based on this plus the fact that there are more voters in the 1st, 4th and 5th districts combined than that of the 2nd and 3rd districts, we can safely say that the BBM/Sara UniTeam will win in Iloilo Province.
Now as for “I Am Iloilo City”, it is already a given that Mayor Jerry Treñas has openly declared his support for the barefoot pink-clad lady from Naga, and save for a certain noisy irritant, he is running with a very insignificant opposition so we give the city to the “pink lady”. She might win with a slim margin but then again stranger things have happened.
Take note that the natives of “I Am Iloilo City” are a discerning lot not easily swayed by unproven issues like the “ill-gotten wealth”, a term created by Cory Aquino with her Executive Order No. 1 three days after she seized power much like the defunct Negros Island Region and the “West Philippine Sea” all created by an executive order by her son Noynoy borne out of the figment of his imagination. Now more than 30 years after, there is still no conviction from the Supreme Court re: “ill-gotten wealth”. As President Duterte said, “The Marcos ill-gotten wealth” is a 30-year-old tale yet to be proven.”
As for that much ballyhooed Rivermaya and Ely Buendia – with some has-been actors/celebrities – concert at the Iloilo Sports Complex where pink-clad politicians made cameo appearances, it is not an indication of anything, much less that claim of 40,000 people jam-packed in a stadium with an area that can have a maximum of 20,000 people standing shoulder to shoulder.
In the real world, you win elections by having real people vote for you, not pink balloons and pink paper flowers in an enhanced zoom out shot taken from a drone camera to give the impression that the stadium is awash in a sea of pink-colored heads. (brotherlouie16@gmail.com)/PN
