Why I prefer Raul del Mar and Joy Pesquera

The better question should be “why not?” Raul del Mar is a high-performing representative. He has shown outstanding performance in the Lower House and one wonders why there is no way this competent lawmaker can be promoted to the Senate and be elected senator.

He is an excellent lawmaker, he understands the nuances, intricacies, and philosophies of both the spirit and the letter of the law. He has the respect of the other members of the House. He was the deputy speaker for no less than six years. He headed the Commission on appointments for a number of years. And he is a decent, honorable, and dignified man, deserving of respect and his name has never been blemished by any charge of corruption, even as others are tainted.

Above all, Rep. Raul del Mar is hardworking. He is the principal author of 72 laws, and established an incomparable record of perfect attendance for the last 25 years. No other congressman from Cebu has that unprecedented record.

What can Richard Yap offer to match the sterling qualifications of Raul? Richard may be a good actor, a successful businessman, but Congress is not his home turf. Congress is a different ballgame and Raul has proven himself to be an excellent representative of Cebu City’s North District. Why should the highly intelligent voters of Cebu City send an actor to replace an outstanding solon?

In the south, the incumbent congressman has not done even one-tenth of what Del Mar has accomplished. The Honorable Rodrigo “Bebot” Abellanosa is supposed to be chairman of the Natural Resources Committee in the House.

Why have we not heard anything from him about the drought that has caused Cebu City to be in a state of calamity? Is water not the most important natural resource? What has Rep. Bebot done to address the massive destruction of the natural environment in the upland barangays in his constituencies? He remains mysteriously silent in the face of an environmental crisis.

I prefer Joy Pesquera because she is a brilliant lawyer who is also a certified public accountant. She knows lawmaking and she understands the economy and the ins and outs of finance and business. She is dynamic, energetic, and is full of idealism that can be of important use in legislation.

Millennials who constitute almost half of the voters would find affinity with Joy. She understands the needs of the people. Bebot is the richest of all the ten representatives from Cebu (seven representing the province's seven districts, two from Cebu City, and one from Lapu-Lapu City).

Bebot does not understand how it is to be poor. He is a member of the Poverty Alleviation Committee but the poverty incidence in his district is much worse than the district of Raul del Mar. He has not done anything to alleviate poverty.

Joy has less money, less logistics than the millions of Bebot. But Joy has the vision, the brains, and the character to represent the people from the South District. Yap may be a good actor but we don't need more entertainers in the House. We need the wisdom, the character, and the dedication of Raul. These are my choices and this is a free country. This is an opinion column. I expect that many will disagree and I respect the thoughts of others.