THE RECENT midterm election was very exciting. In the national level, the rivalry between administration bets and those on the other side of the fence was evident, and the result was lopsided. Not a single Senate seat for the opposition.
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A lawyer opined that the opposition had the wrong strategy. It insulted the President and never gave serious thought about his good deeds.
People thought the opposition was simply campaigning against the incumbent national leader, nothing more, said he lawyer.
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In the House of Representatives, members are squabbling for committee chairmanships.
A doctor said chairing committees gives congressmen some influence so they are fighting for them tooth and nail.
Some juicy or influential committees are Ways and Means, Appointments, Health, and Education to name a few.
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Party-list representatives are tagged as “second-class citizens” in Congress. This is sad. Party-list representatives are the voices of the marginalized sectors such as overseas Filipino workers, senior citizens, athletes, health workers, teachers, etc.
In truth, party-list representatives have bigger constituencies than congressmen representing their districts because they represent their sector all over the country.
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Who will be the next Speaker of the House? This is exciting to watch.
There are new faces and Inday Sara Duterte’s power of persuasion (read: endorsement) counts a lot. The presidential daughter and Davao City mayor can move mountains, according to a lawyer.
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This writer recalls that during his Ateneo de Davao elementary and high school days, he had a classmate surnamed Zimmerman (the mother of Inday Sara is a Zimmerman).
Probably that Zimmerman classmate was a brother of Sara’s mom.
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Inday Sara is a strong-willed individual. Matapang. Matatag. Walang takot.
That’s how she is described by Dabawenos. She has a no-nonsense leadership.
Visit Davao City and see how people get disciplined, said a teacher.
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This column greets Meloy Mercado, Ray dela Paz, Chito Galang, Manny Ong, Richard Oquendo, William Ong, Renato Novero, Jezrel Jordan, Reuben Tampos, Nino Lizares, Francis Velez, Karen Dinsay, George Jardiolin, Toto Tarrosa, Art Colmedora, and Leo Victorio./PN