MY wife and I didn’t vote in yesterday’s Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections. We were not familiar with any of the candidates, except for the husband of the barangay chairman of Barangay Fortune in Marikina who was running for chairman.
We have been residents of this barangay for many years and are quite satisfied with the three-term administration of Chairman Rizalina Teofe. She and the police have been diligent in maintaining peace and order in the area despite several incidents of heavy drinking, unruly videoke crowds, and drug pushing, Violent incidents have been quite rare.
SK officials have remained vulnerable to the power and enticements of local officials because of their political immaturity and deference to their elders. With their parents aligned with entrenched and wealthy political families, many in the youth seemed to have easily gravitated towards a pattern of corruption, bribery and patronage. Others may be disheartened and have chosen to stay away from the campaign and balloting.
‘Teodoro’s shining example of selfless and zealous leadership during the pandemic should be the yardstick that voters in Marikina should use in selecting deserving candidates.’
People in Marikina are hopeful that under Mayor Marcy Teodoro, the political exercise here would be generally honest, clean and fair. Teodoro was one of the few mayors in the country who openly signed the manifesto of commitment of Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong for transparency and integrity in local governance.
Teodoro’s shining example of selfless and zealous leadership during the pandemic should be the yardstick that voters in Marikina should use in selecting deserving candidates.
A Metro Manila mayor who signed the same manifesto was the subject of several complaints of vote-buying during the local elections in 2019. As usual, legal cases of these activities during elections have simply languished at the Comelec or at the local courts. A major rival of this mayor was also reportedly involved in vote-buying in several barangays.
There are countless similar cases in Metro Manila that have remained unresolved and consigned to oblivion. We expect the same unscrupulous agenda to be exhibited by this mayor in the Barangay and SK elections, along with many other local officials who are shamelessly determined to make a mockery of electoral laws.
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A popular radio personality, Richard Enriquez or “DJ Richard” of DZBB (GMA 7), suddenly passed away at 59. He was found to be stricken with an abdominal aneurysm last February and his doctors advised immediate surgery costing P2.3 million. He died last Thursday. Unfortunately, his family was unable to raise the amount for the major medical operation.
I am sure that if the late Mike Enriquez, the former top honcho of GMA 7’s nationwide radio operations, had been alive, he would have provided a hefty financial assistance for Richard. The late Mike (not related to Richard) had recruited Richard to join DZBB after the latter lost his job at the top-rating DZMM when its mother network, ABS-CBN, lost its franchise and was forced to close. The 12 midnight to 3 a.m. slot anchored by Richard topped the radio surveys since he took over in late 2020.
One of the most dedicated and competent news producers and news anchors of Channel 9, Lulu Pascual, also passed away at 72. She was also a good friend and “one of the boys” with colleagues Bambi Fonacier of then-radio DWKW and the late Joey Valencia of Channel 13. Lulu was in charge of the late newscast and the overnight hourly new brakes. She was quite proficient as a news producer and was always abreast with the latest news developments.
It was regrettable I was unable to attend the last night of her wake in Zapote, Las Pinas due to the huge traffic in Metro Manila caused by the last-day campaign for the BSK elections.
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From Philip Yancey in his bestselling book, “What’s So Amazing About Grace”, on eternal values that should be embraced by Christians then and now: “During the Brezhnev era at the height of the Cold War, Billy Graham visited Russia and met with government and church leaders. Conservatives back home reproached him for treating the Russians with such courtesy and respect. He should have taken a more prophetic role, they said, by condemning the abuses of human rights and religious liberty. One of his critics accused him of setting the church back 50 years. Graham listened, lowered his head, and replied, “I am deeply ashamed. I have been trying very hard to set the church back two thousand years.
“Politics draws lines between people; in contrast, Jesus’ love cuts across those lines and dispenses grace. That does not mean, of course, that Christians should not involve themselves in politics. It simply means that as we do, we must not let the rules of power displace the command to love.”