‘Garbage politics’ in Quezon City while Manila simmers

In the 2010 mayoralty elections in Quezon City, then Vice Mayor Herbert Bautista of the Liberal Party warned voters to brace for more “garbage politics” to be employed by his then rival, former DENR secretary Mike Defensor of the People’s Reform Party (PRP). “I expect these fabricated stories to continue even after elections, and they never get tired of making up fantastic stories against me and will never stop until they see me crushed and broken”, Bautista said.

In that campaign, Bautista repeatedly warned that the lies came from the Defensor camp which concocted a series of black propaganda, character assassination, fake surveys and dirty tricks all happening two weeks before the elections.

But the city’s voters responded with Bautista winning by a landslide 500,563 (67.79 percent) votes against Defensor’s 126,847 (17.18 percent). Then vice mayoralty hopeful Joy Belmonte also won large, getting 503,657 votes (69.98 percent) over Councilor Aiko Melendez’ 122,584 votes (17.03 percent).

Now, 11 years later, Defensor is back for the second time hoping to become the city’s chief executive and this time, against second termer, incumbent Joy Belmonte.

And looking at recent events, Bautista’s warning still resonates quite strongly. An example would be the monstrous traffic imposed on millions of motorists by the BBM-Sara Duterte caravan on December 8, which was also the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Defensor, being the local candidate of BBM, suddenly pulled out of coordination and planning meetings with the LGU and the DILG several days before the event, claiming “politics”.

But on Sunday, Dec. 12, the same BBM-Sara Duterte caravan went around Metro Manila in coordination and planning with MMDA, and PNP reported that a positive result was achieved with minimal impact on motorists, a sharp contrast with the traffic mess in Quezon City.

In October this year, plunder and graft charges on alleged “overpriced food packs” worth P108 million were filed against Belmonte and city officials in the Ombudsman by one John Chong, president of the anti-corruption civil society group Task Force Kasanag (TS).

City lawyer Orlando Casimiro said the LGU is very strict with provisions of RA 9184, or the Procurement Act, receiving the highest COA rating in 2020. Casimiro called this “political noise”, milking of media mileage for weeks and ending with a plunder charge. “This is all part of Defensor’s 2010 election playbook”, he claimed.

Well, we’ll watch these events very keenly.

Meanwhile, in Manila, political tensions are also heating up.

Dr. Benjamin M. Yson, a former acting health officer who served for almost a decade under Mayors Alfredo Lim and Erap Estrada has withdrawn his candidacy in favor of businessman and economist, builder and professor Atty. Alex Lopez.

On Oct. 8, Dr. Yson filed his certificate of candidacy for mayor to strongly oppose Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna and her husband, Dr. Poks Pangan, who serves today as acting city health officer. In his withdrawal letter, Dr. Yson outlined unjustifiable revamps in the department that he said led to the untimely demise of former city health officer Dr. Evangeline Rafanan, who was transferred to the COVID-19 facility despite her age and health conditions.

Dr. Yson says he welcomes Lopez’s call for “holistic management” in managing and solving the “economic problems” of Manila. Lopez is the businessman-son of former Manila mayor Mel Lopez and brother to first district congressman Manny Lopez and cousin to undefeated second district congressman Carlo Lopez.

Three winnable candidates are contesting to replace presidential aspirant Isko Moreno-Domagoso next year. They are Isko’s chosen successor Asenso Manileno’s Dr. Honey Lacuna, comebacking KABAKA’s Amado Bagatsing and Partido Federal Party’s Atty. Alex Lopez, supported by the BBM-Sara Duterte group.