Provinces and cities as virtual family corporations
The true nuisance candidates are those put up by family dynasties. They are the most wanted enemies of the people and bane to the nation.
Make no mistake. Family dynasties shall continue to monopolize the coming midterm elections. The Marcoses in Ilocos Norte are too much for the Fariñas Family to challenge, much less topple. The Singsons in Ilocos Sur are facing a very boring election. No one seems to give them a run for their money. The Dys of Isabela are being challenged by their usual rivals, the Albanos and the Padacas. The challengers are too weak that Dys are fighting Dys just to make sure. There is still no one who can put up a decent fight against the Ortegas in La Union. That is why they have to fight each other or they need to bribe a virtual unknown to run against them. They need an opponent or their party will not give them campaign funds. The Josons are trying to stage a comeback and reclaim Cabanatuan from the incumbents. They will find it very hard, except if the Iglesias shall vote for them.
In Tarlac, the Cojuangcos remain as the unquestioned lords, feudal and political. In Pangasinan, no one can challenge the father and son tandem of the Espinos. Bulacan is still in the hands of Governor Alvarado-Dy but there are the Mendozas, Violangos, and Silverios. The Oples and Villaramas as well as the Pagdanganans are already politically dead. The Punos and the Rodriguezes in Rizal are still unable to wrest from the Yñareses the control over that premier provinces. Quezon is still fragmented, and the Tañadas are ragtag and uninfluential. But the Angaras still control Aurora. Bicol has no overall leader. The Villafuertes and the Andayas will clash in Camarines Sur. There is peace in Albay and Chiz Escudero has descended to become the next governor of Sorsogon.
Masbate shall remain as the battle arena for the Khos and the Lanetes to fight to exterminate each other, but they are less warlike than the Espinosas. Marinduque is going to have retired justice Presby Velasco again having a duel with the rich Reyes matriarch or her daughter who was declared a US citizen. My student, Jay Lord Velasco, the congressman will have a token opposition and their mother or sister will still be in the partylist. It’s all in the family, you see. Mindoro is the home ground of the Umalis and a few other families. Leyte will be dominated by the Romualdezes, the Velosos, the Petillas, and the tandem of Lucy Torres and the imported mayor of Ormoc, Goma. They are being challenged by their perennial enemies, the Codillas.
Here in Cebu, it will be a battle royale between the north and the south. Agnes Magpale of Bakud will face the dragon lady from the south, the last ally of Bebot Alvarez against GMA; Gwen, the superwoman from Dumanjug and Barili. Magpale’s strength in the north will be complimented by Davide’s strength in the south. And the superwoman must match it with Salimbangon neutralizing Magpale’s dominance of the fourth, fifth, and sixth districts. In Agnes, Gwen faces a more difficult nut to crack. Davide will surely win as vice governor. Gwen will have to fight tooth and nail. The Osmeñas are vanishing while the Gullases and the Duranos have no strong rivals. In Cebu City, Edgar Labella will really give Tomas Osmeña a lot of headache next year. Mike Rama’s bid for vice mayor is a walk in the park.
In Mindanao, it is still the same story. The Dutertes hate dynasties. Inday is running for mayor, Baste for vice mayor, and Polong for congressman. That is hating dynasties for you. In Caraga, the Barbers are challenging the Matugases in Surigao. The Plaza and the Amante families are no longer united and are fighting each other. The Florendos and Alvarezes have given each other proxy opponents. But Inday Sara will emerge as the strongest Mindanao leader, more formidable than the Pimentels of Cagayan de Oro or the Zubiris of Bukidnon. If Inday collaborates with Manny Pacquiao, then the south will still dominate Malacañan after 2022. The bottom line of all these is that politics in the Philippines is just a family business. Clans are clashing and the poor ‘’hoi polloi’’ are just being blown by political winds. Talk of change which is always coming.
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