Jerry vs Joe

BY NELSON CAB ROBLES

THE NEWLY installed House Speaker, former President and incumbent congresswoman Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, brings fear to the jaundiced ally of ousted ex-Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez. For them GMA is a curse and could be a hindrance to their political ambition to enrich themselves in guise of public service.

Let’s accept it, some shrewd creatures are there because on their belief there’s treasure in politics. Coming out victorious from a poll is a comfortable way to thievery.

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The political feud between Iloilo City Lone District congressman Jerry Treñas and Mayor Joe Espinosa III is going from bad to worse. In fairness to the former, who has been mayor straight for nine years after his predecessor ex-mayor Mansueto Malabor, he has proven his worth.

Initially, I thought it was just a zarzuela to discourage other political aspirants to join the fray aiming for the mayoralty position in 2019 mid-year elections but both camps swear to their graves that only one of them has the right to claim or reclaim dominance in the City of Love.

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Mayor Joe appears not bothered at all, neither intimidated by his “bilas” Congressman Jerry who, this early, publicly revealed his intention to run again as chief executive in 2019.

Trenñs, during a recent live interview in Maayong Gab-i Iloilo radio program hosted by the famous multi-talented media man Manuel “Boy” Mejorada, had no qualms exposing his political indifference with Joe III. In essence, the latter appeared to be someone having “walang palabra de honor.”

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Congressman Jerry has been accused by his critics as a man with no sense of political value when he jumped ship to the new ruling party PDP-Laban right after Digong was sworn in to office as the newly elected President of the Republic of the Philippines.

In fairness to Jerry, his act is not an isolated case. This is a practice common to almost all politicians for their political survival. Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. of Iloilo did the same in 2010 and resulted to an overwhelming victory against his rival congressman Ferjenel Biron.  Did we hear anyone raise a howl of protest? Never, people had spoken. “The voice of the people is the voice of God,” so they say.

Mind you this is realm of politics. Anyone who doesn’t have the stamina of this reality, you must be living in outer space.

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Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. failed to hide his discontentment when, recently, he started attacking live over a local radio station his son’s potential rival for governorship, 4th District congressman Ferj Biron.

Biron has the habit of giving out bags and other school materials needed by students mostly belonging to impoverished families as part of his duty as a Christian. He has been doing this traditionally, not only in his own district but to others. This is a benevolent act from a man whose love for his constituents is unfathomable.

So, where’s the crime? It’s really no big deal as I see it.

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Hero of the hour is former congressman Atty. Glenn Chong when he recently exposed the shenanigan committed by the Commission on Elections and Smartsmatic in the 2016 elections, during a Senate hearing last week.

Chong was officially invited as a resource speaker to share his knowledge on the electoral fraud. It was so damning and lethal yet no one from the mainstream media carried the story the following day.

Chong carried with him a lot of ammunitions that could possibly send the syndicate into calaboose once proven guilty.

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So I’ve heard former Health secretary Janet Veloso Garin is consulting someone with expertise on witchcraft on how to commit a crime and get away with it. (roblesnelson339@yahoo.com.ph/PN)

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