IT used to be that when the glib-talker “has-been” politician spewed acidic diatribes on air, and continuously at that, it would always attract attention because his principles then were considered as unconventional, radical and very practical.
At times, it was logical too, and also very amusing.
Because his views then were unconventional, and down-to-earth too, he right away developed a huge following.
His cabal of radio loyalists easily grew to a huge number.
His celebrity status was evident when he easily won his reelection then by a huge margin. His opponent was even amazed at the huge chasm of votes between them taking into account his equally long experience in local politics.
Big credit of course went to his glib-talk on the radio every morning.
* * *
But human nature is interesting. Nothing is permanent except change and the glib-talking politician did not notice right away his dwindling popularity partly due to his own making.
He failed to “walk his talk” and a lot of people realized that he was only good in talking, not in doing.
Apart from this, he started doing “Robin Hood” among local businessmen. His bagman was regularly sent to pick up “protection money” and from all sorts of shady activities.
It became a huge headache to many businessmen, in fact one such businessman quipped that “mas gastos pa man ning tawhana nga mag-amigo kay sa mag-kontra.”
In other words, the businessman was already fed up with the regular collection which he considered as grave abuse of power and authority.
Mas maayo pa man tingali nga undangon na lang namo ang among panag-amigo kay hilabihan dakoa na man ko og gasto ani niya, the businessman lamented.
And he was just one of the many who bitterly complained about the huge collection.
Another reelection came and the glib-talking politician lost, and miserably at that.
* * *
Because he considered himself as an expert in local politics, coupled with a supposedly very convincing political strategy, he shifted from being a politician to a political strategist.
The shift was of course motivated purely by his urge to continue making money.
A rich wannabe easily succumbed to his oral charms and he recruited him as his political strategist.
The idea was, leave the political strategy to him, and just focus on doing the rounds in the different barangays and municipalities, a very sound advice indeed.
In order to make his strategy effective, the glib-talking politician convinced the wannabe to shell out a weekly operational expense of 4 to 5 million pesos. This is apart from the occasional 10 to 20 million pesos that he needed for a strategic political maneuver.
Unknown to the wannabe, the glib-talking politician spent sleepless hours in the casino before proceeding to the political front the following morning.
* * *
The huge cash flow continued until the last few weeks to the election. And this time around, the wannabe discovered some heart-breaking and pocket-punching news.
Many mayors came in droves to the house of the wannabe to ask for the promised campaign ayuda that never came.
It was like a powerful lightning shock. To make sure, the wannabe checked the records and sent a trusted employee to the complaining mayors to verify the information.
The wannabe learned later that the glib-talking politician only promised, but not delivered, the promised ayuda to the mayors even when the records submitted a supposedly complete transaction.
The wannabe then realized nga giilad lang diay siya.
When the glib-talker proposed to help in changing 1000 bills to smaller denomination, this was turned down by the wannabe and decided right then and there to isolate the glib-talker from his special ops.
But too late the hero, damage is done and it became irreversible later on because many mayors felt that they were shortchanged and also decided to shift political loyalty to the opposition.
Napildi, ug napurdoy, intawon og pipila ka milyones ang wannabe.
Igo lang intawon siya sa pagbakho ug pagmahay nga nagpailad siya sa glib-talker.
* * *
Since then, the glib-talker became a political pariah. His political mercenary days was over and done and nobody wanted to do business with him anymore.
His political misfortune also followed suit as his spouse repeatedly lost in the succeeding local elections.
Wa na gyod intawon misalig pa sa glib-talker og nahilis gyod intawon ang iyang kanhi bagang duot sa mga loyalists.
* * *
Unsa na man ron ang iyang racket?
He’s back in the political arena, backed-up kunohay by the political machinery, and resources, of his former political nemesis.
Kanhi kontra, karon kauban na sa politika.
Of course, he knows that he stands no chance of winning so what he does, he just keeps on repeating his acidic diatribes every day.
Napul-an na man pod ang mga naminaw so the listeners have opted to shift to music. One such listener said – pulos lang binotbot ug tinunto ang gipangsulti anang tawhana, ga-usik-usik lang na sa panahon.
