La Elección Local Estrambotico

The local election campaign fever has already begun. as early as last March 30, i have already seen campaign posters being posted (duh! that's why they're posters) with faces of similar and not similar faces. Incumbent mayor Sherwin Gatchalian is running for his 2nd term and his he is up against Valenzuela City 1st District Rep. Bobbit Carlos, MD who is now running for his last term as mayor. During Bobbit's term as mayor, i didn't exactly know how he improved the city except raising its status back in 1998 from a municipality into a chartered city and his ambitious Clean and Green project where there are garbage trucks singing the Macarena song with lyrics re-arranged from "Macarena, Macarena, macarena" into "Basurero, Basurero, Basurero". How weird and awful was that! Now when Sherwin aka Win Gatchalian took office, this 30 something business fellow had something in mind. i call him the Tarpaulin mayor since he has in his first term put up lots of tarpaulin hanging in lamppost, electric post, and anywhere in the public eye to promote city government projects, fenced ones, and accomplishments. i remember last year, there was a play about the life of one of our city's most revered hero and foremost namesake, Dr. Pio Valenzuela. There was a tarpaulin poster promoting the play with Mayor Win in it, wearing a barong tagalog and sitting in an old traditional chair.

what's famous about Sherwin is that he has this signature poster boy pose in most of his tarpaulins and in his campaign posters. what's funny about it that he's been using that same photo of him posing like that since his congressional days before assuming office in 2004.

looks like someone else is set to follow his path. Rep. and brother of Sherwin, REX Gatchalian is seeking his 2nd term in office. he might now be bumping against returning reelectionist Magtanggol Gunigundo (if my facts are right). It's not that he's following his brother as running for a political post, it's just that he is also known for having a signature pose in most of his campaign posters, even on his Serbisyo Centers (one is located in MacArthur Highway in Malinta). His face is like an evil kontravida (is there a good one?) facing straight at the camera with a mean looking face smiling. Another Gatchalian is running for office for the 1st time, and that's WES Gatchalian. He also has this signature pose like the first 2 although i don't know much about his gimmickry since he's running for the position of 2nd district representative from which Arkong Bato is not a Part of.

Here's what's really funny, each of the three brothers have three-lettered nicknames: WIN, REX, and WES. Now the Gatchalians use their nicknames as acronyms on their platforms and campaign whatevers. i don't care what their nicknames stand for but i feel i want to share it with you.

other running for local posts here in Valenzuela is this former PBA player whose last name is Esplana. He used to be a teammate of Sen. Robert Jaworski during the height of the PBA's popularity. he's campaign message is "ONE TEAM TAYO!".

on the part of Malabon, the Aquino-Oretas are now forming a political dynasty. Tito Oreta is running for reelection so he can seek a 2nd term as maypor, Lenlen Oreta, Tito's brother, is running as Vice Mayor. Lenlen's wife, Tessie Aquino-Oreta is running for reelection as Senator as well as his brother, Noynoy Aquino. The brothers Sandoval seems to be forming one too, as the incumbent MaNa rep, Federico "Ricky" Sandoval" is, if i'm not mistaken giving his support for his brother Alvin Sandoval who is running for a political post (was he a councilor since he was like, in billboards as early as January even before the campaign period?). If Ricky's wife is running, I'm guessing she might wanna recycle her old posters of her posing like SHan Cai slash Regine Velasquez with f4 as a background last election and her dream of turning Malabon into a Market City.

The Vicencios is not keen on giving up either. They are also vying to regain power one step at a time. Former Malabon mayor Amado Vicencio's son, incumbent mayor Arnold Vicencio, is seeking reelection.

I have no idea if Jayjay Yambao who, with Amado Vicencio and Tito Oreta, was featured in a drama series called "A Tale of Three Mayors (The Suspended Mayor, The Substitute Mayor, And The Mayor-Elect)", if he wanna run again as mayor. Since he was defeated, he had this TV show on the government-sequestered station, IBC-13. If ever he's running again, he might give out again comic books depicting his life and he's "divine calling to serve the people through governance". How weird is that!?

well, that's Philippine politics to you. We're not old enough to vote but as early as now, i can really tell which is the more deserving and the more deserve-nots!

Bye now!