THIS IS local elections time. All sorts of political ambits and urgings pollute the air. How everything has changed…then and now.
I remember in the late ‘50s to the ‘60s the political exercise was quite different then; far different. Our vantage point was the era of RODING GANZON, acknowledged political kingpin of Iloilo City. He was city mayor, congressman and elected senator of the realm during those heady years.
RODING was mentally gifted. He was a bar topnotcher who finished his Law studies at Iloilo City Colleges (ICC) owned by his political nemesis, FERNANDO LOPEZ who was Vice President of the Philippines. Two stalwart Ilonggos gripped in political struggle for dominance.
RODING did not practice law but – recognizing where he was most formidable – embarked in politics where he excelled. He was a spellbinding speaker. His entertaining sense of humor and outrageous tirades against political opponents drew laughter and die-hard admiration and support from the crowds.
The people were so in love with him he was just followed wherever he went…from public plazas to barrios where a makeshift stage would stand on planks of wood supported by oil drums, and a rented sound system blaring loud. And you are ready for RODING GANZON.
The audience brought their own bangkô to sit on as there were no plastic chairs those primeval times and they stayed to listen…till the last speaker who was of course, RODING GANZON.
He would announce when and where the next meeting would be held and people would be there the next scheduled rally. There was no radio or TV. To gain votes, campaigning was personal (where the candidate really meets the voter).
RAMON MUZONES was the Press Secretary of RODING and we accompanied the party making the rounds. I remember in one of their sorties RODING went up a nipa hut where a cadaver lied wrapped in a blanket.
As the family were voters in the barrio, RODING tearfully embraced the corpse declaring that they were close personal friends. After we left the hut to continue the house-to-house campaign, RODING asked…what did he die of? He was told…tuberculosis.
RODING rode on the political slogan “Timawa.” He identified and aligned himself with the poor, the downtrodden and the neglected. Pitting the rich against the poor Timawa, he defeated the political coalition of Pascualing Espinosa who controlled the waterfront and Vice President NANDING LOPEZ whom he branded as belonging to the sugar block or an oligarch.
RODING’S battle cry, Timawa, saw him thru. He was a political force capable of a straight ticket victory which is quite difficult to achieve nowadays. But RODING did it with a win of his mayoral, vice mayor and eight city councilors line-up during his heydays. In vintage RODING he would boast that he could make a dog win as city councilor. But today, with the kind of candidates we have, it would be considered an insult to the animal.
When one of his children was born, RODING, wanted to name him Timawa Ganzon. But the wife objected and turned to RAMON MUZONES, who coined the word, Timawa, as his rallying cry: “Abi, pare Ramon, ano meaning Timawa sa Ininglis?”
It was explained that Timawa meant a Free Man, a serf or slave who won his freedom because of loyal service to the Master or performance of an honorable deed. He became a free man. So, that was how FREEMAN GANZON got his name.
A prospective candidate came to RODING to ask for advice as the alumni association wanted him to run for city councilor. RODING told him to buy a 2×2 piece of wood.
The prospective candidate asked: “What will I do with the dos por dos?”
RODING’S replay: “Hit them who intô you that you will win in the elections./PN
