By: Villamor C. Visaya Jr.
(Published in its print edition on May 10 – 16, 2025)
AS senatorial bet frontrunner Christopher “Bong” Go zoomed ahead with P26.91-million votes, as of Friday, the zooming or speedy automated results is outstanding, just few days after the past May 12 elections.
Come to think of it, Go’s votes is even more than double from the garnered votes of 12th-ranked Imee Marcos, who amassed 13.25-million, as of this writing.
Barely after a 24-hour period, more than 80-percent results have been accounted, a sharp contrast with the previous elections which take more than weeks.
Aside from that, previous surveys brought Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan away from the Magic 12 circle. Yet they are second and fifth, respectively.
Pre-election survey topnotchers like Ben Tulfo, Bong Revilla, Manny Pacquiao, Willie Revillame, Francis Tolentino, and Abby Binay are nowhere within the winning circle.
This shows that surveys are just barometers in specific periods and with limited population.
For now, let us enjoy the speedy and honest results.
*****
Indeed, any political dynasty will end sooner or later.
In Ballesteros, Cagayan, a medical doctor finally put an end to a 33-year reign as mayor of the ruling Unite family.
Dr. Robert Ogalino has been proclaimed by the town canvassers’ board as the new mayor of Ballesteros in Cagayan on May 12 night with 9,376 votes to edge Vice Mayor Violeta Unite for mayor who got 8, 895 votes.
The Unite family changed positions in the past 33 years as mayor and vice mayor.
Violeta’s husband, incumbent Mayor Vincent Unite, however, won as vice mayor with 11, 155 votes as against Ogalino’s daughter, lawyer Genevie Ogalino who got 6,788 votes.
*****
Good governance is not enough. This has been proven in Sanchez Mira in Cagayan.
Winning incumbent Mayor Abraham “Abe” Bagasin, who won by a mere 17-vote margin over his opponent, rued the alleged “karadap (Ilocano word for crawl)” before and on the eve of the elections nearly cost him to lose his reelection bid.
Talking with him by phone, General Bagasin described the slim victory as a complacency on his part.
“If I were only a criminal, I would have imitated their deeds, but I am not a criminal,” the general-turn-mayor confided.
His words in a Facebook post on Tuesday is even more revealing: “Nanalo ako, ayon sa opisyal na rekord ng COMELEC. But please allow me my space to grieve. Nagluluksa ako dahil hindi ko akalaing mahihirapang lumaban ang malinis na paglilingkod kung tatapatan ng malaking pera (I am grieving because I did not foresee that having a clean purpose to serve will be having a difficulty when big money comes in.).”
Mayor Bagasin of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats tallied 7,132 votes, just 17-vote more than the votes garnered by former mayor Asela Sacramed of the Nacionalista Party who got 7,115 votes.
By a grit, no one can put a good man down like Bagasin.
Yet, vote-buying is undermining the true essence of the elections.#
