By this time one week before we troop to our polling places to choose the candidates to whom we will entrust our sacred votes, we should already be preparing our choices, preferably in writing which we usually called “codigo,” which we should bring to the polling booths to facilitate voting.
Guided by the problems and issues left hanging by the exiting city officials, select the candidates from your list or leaflets whom you believe will deliver or make a better Baguio that we dreamed of in their 3-year term, using the standard attributes which preferably, they should have shown in their public or private lives, such as being—
1. with visions, not reactionary and inward looking;
2. always concerned with the needs of their fellowmen/constituents (hindi ningas kugon);
3. knowledgeable, competent and efficient (and not hard to find in the offices);
4. sincere and honest in their jobs and in their dealings with people/public (hindi corrupt o plastic);
5. most of all, morally upright and physically fit.
As for the group I am with, the choices we have made for the city this coming election and the reasons for the choices are:
FOR CONGRESSMAN:
Engr. Bernardo Vergara – we believe he has all the above attributes, and more; “subok na sa serbisyo, maka-kalikasan, madaling lapitan…”
FOR MAYOR:
Judge Edilberto Claravall – in all aspects, the better alternative for change to achieve the Baguio that we want. Competent, upright and principled.
FOR VICE MAYOR:
Engr. Isabelo Cosalan – knowledgeable with parliamentary procedures; he is our man on titling and survey of lands in Baguio. Competent, efficient and responsive (hindi plastic, hindi corrupt).
FOR COUNCILORS:
1. ED AVILA: a legal luminary; an asset on smooth and efficient legislation; our best bet for the Committee on Laws in the Council; over qualified yet circumspect.
2. Atty. RON PEREZ: ripe for any task in the Council; our choice on education, ecology and barangay empowerment concerns.
3. JOJO CABATO: inherited the honesty of his father; knowledgeable and competent to handle health care programs.
4. Atty. BONG MANDAPAT: our choice to Chair Public Utility, Transportation and Traffic Legislation Committee in place of Councilor Alangsab; no non-sense implementor.
5. BOBBY ORTEGA: still a byword name on peace and order problems and solutions;
6. BUMMY BUMANGLAG: a suited augmentation / alternate for Atty. Mandapat on transportation and traffic concerns; and Bobby Ortega on peace and order;
7. ELAINE SEMBRANO: our choice to make the public market a tourist attraction;
8. Atty. ELMER DATUIN: still the better man to handle tourism and parks policies in the Council.
9. MARLENE DE CASTRO: an advocate for youth welfare and empowerment, community development and peoples’ involvement.
10. MYLEN YARANON: our Architect for urban planning and development;
11. PETER FIANZA: we believe Benny Carantes who says he is our eyes and ears on corruption and other shenanigans in the City Hall; very efficient in his job.
12. ERDOLFO BALAJADIA: notwithstanding his opposition to the legalization of illegally operating public utility vehicles in Baguio, he is still our best man on environment and protection of the city’s remaining pine trees.
PARTY LIST:
ADDA – for the promotion of agriculture and farmers’ interests.
BY THE WAY, quoted hereunder is what Judge Claravall’s promises to achieve the City of Baguio that we want.
“We need to clean up our City, have good governance, protect our environment, save our heritage, stricter zoning implementation, control real estate overdevelopment, solve traffic congestion, improve water supply, better health care, attention to needs of seniors, develop our youth, have more jobs and livelihood opportunities, crime prevention and illegal drug use. I will work with the citizens of Baguio to find solutions to the problems we now face. Together we will rebuild our City and make it the Baguio we can all be proud of.”
