THE feeling of nostalgia dominated Short Cuts’ inner self the past week.
Three events transpired that caused memories of his past rushing back to his mind. First, that of having been elected as a town councilor of Valencia. Second, that of having been sworn in as the town executive of the same town. And third, that of being the presiding officer of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of the province.
On these occasions, he seemed speechless and on some seconds or two, breathless.
Imagine to remember his past as the youngest Municipal Councilor throughout the Philippines having been elected in the 1963 local elections and the youngest town executive in region 7 in 1972!
As the youngest town legislator, however, he was the most educationally qualified councilor as a second year College of Law student. During the first regular session, spectators filled the Session Hall of the then Municipal Council of Valencia with the sole purpose of witnessing how a young councilor performs his duties.
Short Cuts as the youngest town executive of region 7, hails from a barangay which is one and a half kilometers away from the shorelines of the town. History tells us that he is the only town executive who comes from a barangay away from the shorelines.
Short Cuts, on the first day of his assumption to office – after the flag ceremony – had to fall in the police force of the town. He made the police force march with Short Cuts in command. And, when he observed a patrolman too shabby in the performance, he had to punish by kicking him.
Short Cuts maintained this type of discipline throughout his term of office. As an advanced ROTC graduate and a former Tactical Officer of an ROTC unit during his college days, he disciplined the police force of his town as if it were a platoon of ROTC cadets.
Then, on his stint as a provincial legislator . . . .
Specifically on the first Tuesday of July (July 5, 2022) Short Cuts attended the first and inaugural session of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of the province. It was the first time that he visited the office of the Vice-Governor since three years ago.
To Short Cuts’ total surprise, he was met by his former officemates in the Vice-Governor’s office not only with smiles and handshakes. They, too, were recalling of the friendly and healthy atmosphere of the office when he was serving his incumbency as the Vice-Governor of the province.
They were just too frank in informing Short Cuts of an antagonistic air dominating the office after Short Cuts left the office in 2019.
No way for unscheduled visitors! Short Cuts was told.
In silence, they seem to celebrate the incoming occupant of the office.
For that short ‘reunion’, Short Cuts had to be fulfilled with picture taking with his former officemates.
