ILOILO City – An overwhelming majority of the 330,470 registered voters due to swarm polling centers today are expected to deliver the “knockout punch” to the challengers of top incumbent officials of Iloilo City.
With the leaders of the opposing group crumbling down on the eve of the elections, the reelection of Cong. Julienne “Jam-jam” Baronda, Mayor Jerry Treñas and Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon are deemed sealed.
“Their leaders in the barangays felt duped because they have not received what they were promised. They defected to the winning triumvirate on Friday while others realized they’ve been had on Saturday. More followed yesterday, Sunday. They said the opponents of Team Gugma, Uswag, Arriva are a big joke and a fraud,” a political insider told Panay News.
The widespread apostasy within the opposition’s ranks nailed the coffin of the challengers who, early in the electoral contest, did not stand a chance at snatching the top three posts away as revealed by the most trusted and reliable survey firm Random Access Consultants, Inc. (RACI).
Baronda was leading with 64.7% against her challenger who only got 34% despite being in politics for 30 years already.
Treñas, meanwhile, had 80.8% while his vociferous opponent only had 18.8%.
Ganzon had 85.5%, making his challenger irrelevant at 14.2%.
The defecting barangay leaders from the opposition assured the trio of their support in today’s voting, thereby adding strength to the already formidable battalions of 25,000 barangay leaders on top of the Blue Angels, Gugma Youth and the support of the punong barangays, barangay secretaries and treasurers as well as Sangguniang Kabataan officials.
More than the machinery, the Ilonggos are set to reelect Baronda, Treñas ang Ganzon for fuelling the resiliency of the Ilonggos sail through the stormy life these past two years due to the coronavirus pandemic with their efficient teamwork and out-of-the-box solutions-oriented and pragmatic leadership.
They, too, were anointed and endorsed by Iglesia ni Cristo and other faiths aside from business and civic groups.
The Ilonggos witnessed how Baronda and Treñas worked together to bring programs, projects and assistance to the residents of the city to fulfil what they had promised in 2019.
Baronda promised and delivered HOPE (health, obra, peace and order, education), while Treñas pledged WHEELS (welfare, health and sanitation, education, environmental management, livelihood, and sustainability).
On the other hand, their challengers tried to fool the Ilonggos by manufacturing surveys and putting out falsities even through tarpaulins. They also hired trolls and blocktimers to attack and libel Baronda, Treñas and Ganzon en masse. But the thinking Ilonggos were simply too intelligent to be fooled.
While the opposition collapsed, the people’s choices — Baronda, Treñas and Ganzon — are about to throttle up on what they had started — infrastructure projects, landmark pieces of legislation, responsive programs for the poor, and vision to take Iloilo City to the next level.
To work with and support them are the City Councilors of Team Gugma, Uswag, Arriva: Dr. Urminico Baronda Jr., Atty. Sedfrey Cabaluna, Punong Barangay Eric David, Councilor Rommel Duron, Councilor Ely Estante, Councilor Rudolph Ganzon, Councilor Jojo Javellana, Councilor Frances Parcon, Atty. Rex Sarabia, Miguel Treñas, Johnny Young, and Councilor Allan Zaldivar.
Uswag Ilonggo partylist, through incoming Cong. Jojo Ang and Cong. Raisa Treñas-Chu, completes the team of public servants who will give love-filled service to the Ilonggos and ensure the city’s progress./PN
