Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Rambulan Na!

Congressman Jun Gonzalez and Mayor Jerry Treñas are scheduled to file their certificate of candidacies this Saturday, March 24, together with the rest of their ticket. A mass is scheduled for the candidates, their families and core supporters at 9:00 am at the Sta. Maria-Ateneo de Iloilo Chapel. Afterwards, the group will all together troop to the COMELEC office to symbolize their unity. The Gonzalez-Treñas ticket is comprised of the following:

For Congressman - Raul Gonzalez, Jr.
For Mayor - Jerry Treñas
For Vice Mayor - Jed Patrick Mabilog
For Councilor
Julienne "Jam Jam" Baronda (reelectionist)
Joe Espinosa III (reelectionist)
Armand Parcon (reelectionist)
Eduardo Peñaredondo (reelectionist)
Erwin Plagata (reelectionist)
Ely Estante (reelectionist)
Jeffrey Ganzon (reelectionist)
Lyndon Acap
Bobby Divinagracia
Edward Yee
Tony Pesina
Eldrid Antiquiera

With regards to the opposition in Iloilo City, reports say that they are scheduled to file their certificate of candidacies on the last day of filing, March 29. But the word is that they are still fighting among themselves and are leaderless (read more here). As I have reported here previously, the local opposition had a caucus with their leading light Senator Frank Drilon at the Sarabia Manor Hotel to decide who among them will run for what position. In that meeting, Drilon named lawyer Benjie Gengos (a person known to be especially loyal to him) as his bet for Congressman. But the other leading opposition figures in that caucus (namely, Joshua Alim, Dan Cartagena, Rex Rico and Mansing Malabor), seeing that Gengos is the least popular and the "weakest" among them, refused to abide by Drilon's decision and decided to push ahead with their own slate. Nothing is final yet but it seems the opposition ticket will be comprised of the following:

For Congressman - Former Mayor Mansueto Malabor
For Mayor - Former No. 1 Councilor Joshua Alim

The opposition slate for Vice Mayor and the 12 Council seats has not been firmed up yet, but the names of former Councilor Perla Zulueta, ex-Vice Mayor Vic Facultad and Dan Cartagena are being floated as possible vice mayoralty bets.

With less than 10 days to go till the March 29 deadline, the local opposition must get its act together fast. Otherwise, they will once again be massacred by the well-oiled Gonzalez-Treñas machinery in Iloilo City this coming 2007 elections.