FOR THE past several months, if you’ve been following the House of Representatives’ Quad-Committee hearings on the war on drugs and other issues — whether on television or online — one name has consistently stood out: Cong. Caraps.
That’s Abang Lingkod Party-list Representative Joseph Stephen Paduano, known for his fearless and fiery presence.
It’s no surprise. He was once a commander of the now-defunct Revolutionary Proletarian Army – Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPA-ABB), a breakaway faction of the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
A classic example of a rebel-turned-politician, Paduano also served as a political operator for various leaders in Negros Occidental — most notably for Bacolod City’s Mayor Albee Benitez since 2010. Eventually, he entered the political arena himself, becoming a party-list lawmaker under Abang Lingkod.
Now, with his third and final term nearing its end, Cong. Caraps is about to step down after nine years in office. Come June 30, he will return to private life — as just another ordinary Filipino citizen.
‘KINGMAKER’
But even as he prepares to exit politics, Cong. Caraps remains a hot topic in the local political scene. Why?
Is it because he refuses to fully detach himself from it? Does he still want to prove that he has the influence, the supporters, and the “power to create” politicians — a kingmaker – whether in Bacolod or elsewhere in Negros Occidental?
Cong. Caraps’ decision to back Team El Cid, led by Bacolod Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, is a bold move that tests his political clout.
El Cid is running for mayor against the favored candidate for city mayor of Mayor Albee and Team Asenso – Cong. Greg Gasataya.
If Cong. Caraps succeeds in delivering El Cid to victory in the May 12 mayoral race, it will boost his reputation and raise his stock in the local political arena. If not, then it’s game over — and thank you.
AS IF BITTEN BY BEES
As the local campaign heats up, Cong. Caraps seems increasingly uneasy — uncomfortable, even. At a press conference on March 28, he looked as though he had been stung by bees, their venom slowly spreading, leaving him visibly agitated and under pressure.
Cong. Caraps appeared to struggle in expressing his feelings toward his former “Boss Albee”. It was as if he was holding back years of disappointment and bitterness.
Addressing both the media and supporters at Team El Cid’s opening salvo at the Bacolod Public Plaza, Cong. Caraps admitted he was deeply hurt, particularly by the dismissal of allies who had been working as job hires at city hall.
“I just want to reiterate that my loyalty to the party, to the alliance, to a friend, or even to my boss, ends when the interest of our people is threatened,” Cong. Caraps declared.
On a more personal note, Cong. Caraps confided to this columnist that contrary to circulating claims, Mayor Albee did not greet him on his birthday in January.
He also made it clear that he could not bring himself to join Team Asenso, especially under Bacolod’s Cong. Greg Gasataya — though he stopped short of explaining his disdain for the incumbent congressman.
FOR REAL OR REEL?
Despite all of that, however, many still doubt the falling-out of Cong. Caraps and Mayor Albee. To some, it all seems like a well-rehearsed performance for public consumption.
Yet others believe Cong. Caraps’ pain is real — raw, even. They say the sting he feels is palpable.
It’s all very intriguing — and worth digging deeper into./PN
