By Mortz C. Ortigoza
When some media men, 29 village chiefs, Sta. Barbara Mayor Carlito Zaplan and I waited last December for the arrival of reelectionist senator at the new swanky municipal hall of the first class Pangasinan town, I told the mayor that this solon was a tightwad.
Tightwad, to tricycle drivers, funeral attendant, and other blue collars, is someone who is very cheap and will not spend much money on anything.
I cited that the driver of the SUV loaned to him in Pangasinan complained that after several days he drove the senator, who was out in the Magic 12 for the senate at polls, for a husting in the various towns, the latter pressed tightly his hand and thank him for his service.
“Hinde man lang nag iwan ng pang beer!,” the driver told me.
When Mayor Zaplan heard this story he told me that the solon would not get the support of the village chiefs if he became cheapskate after the consultations.
After every barangay chairmen redressed their grievances and submitted their infrastructure projects request to the solon, he told them: O, salamat sa pagdating ninyo at panahon na para umuwi at uminom ng Emperador (a poor man’s liquor that is pegged at P75 per long neck bottle)".
Before the dust settled from the convoys of the senator, some village chiefs asked their colleagues if the solon left some sum for the “Emperador”.
“Wala naman!,” one answered in disbelief.
“Pag ganoon, i-zero sa election. Kuripot pala,” a barangay kapitan shouted in a group.
At the May 12 tabulation of the Commission on Election the reelectionist senator was out in the Magic 12 where political clowns but generous candidates’ boxer Manny Pacquiao and comedian Tito Sotto dominated.
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Two days before the acrimonious and divisive May 9, 2016 presidential election, President Benigno Aquino III analyzed as quoted by the Philippine Inquirer last May 7: “It behooves everybody to try and get together and ensure that instead of thinking about what shall we do if everything he says is exactly what he intends to do, why don’t we remove that problem or that threat or that insecurity by uniting the 70 and defeating the 30?”.
Roxas echoed the president’s exhortation by calling Poe to discuss a possible alliance in order to avoid a victory from current frontrunner Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
Analyst Popoy De Vera opined at DZMM as quoted by Tempo newspaper:
