THE Presidents of the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) per town have just been elected. The elected ABC President will also sit in the municipal sanggunian as ex-officio member.
The next hurdle is the ABC President for the provincial level.
As expected, the ABC President-wannabe is going to start campaigning right away so he could muster enough votes and clinch the ABC presidency of the province.
Because he will also sit as ex-officio member of the provincial sanggunian, then the election of the provincial ABC president is also very exciting.
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In Bohol, there are two factions in the sanggunian, those identified with Gov Aris Aumentado and those identified with former governor Art Yap, which is the minority in the sanggunian.
The elected provincial ABC president will come from either faction but the candidate endorsed and supported by Governor Aris will definitely have an edge over his opponent. And he is expected to win.
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Under the leadership of Vice Governor Victor Balite, the members of the minority group are fortunate.
Why?
Because even if they belong to the “opposition,” they are still given “air time” in the proceedings in the sanggunian. Meaning, they are still given the chance to talk, to homilize and to do what they want during the regular session of the provincial board.
Compare that to the situation during the time of former Vice Governor Rene Relampagos, whose group was the majority and the group of then BM Victor Balite was the minority.
Accordingly, they were not given “air time,” raising a point during SP deliberations was severely restricted and regardless of the raising of the hand, only the members of the majority were given recognition.
Anybody not recognized by the presiding officer and talks, will be considered as out of order and can be sanctioned under SP rules.
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Many SB members who belonged to the minority during the time of VG Rene and are now in the majority are complaining.
Ngano nga i-recognize pa man nang taga-pikas ni Vice nga kontra man na sila unya galangan-langan man lang na sila sa proceedings kay ang ilang ipanulti pulos ra man pamolitika, one SP member relayed to me.
They wanted VG Balite to do what former VG Rene did to them – ignore their manifestation to be recognized and limit the discussion to the points raised by the majority, the minority be damned.
Di mi kasabot ana ni Vice, hilabihan ra man god na siya kabuotan nga iya mang tagaan og time nang taga-pikas nga moyawyaw panahon sa among sesyon, he added.
Labon sa time ni VG Rene, di gyod mi pansinon bisan pa og unsaon namo, mapan-os na lang nang among laway kay di gyod mi pasultion, unlike karon nga demokrasya kaayo na si VG Victor.
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The decision or prerogative as to who talks and who cannot talk rests in the presiding officer, the Vice Governor.
Together with the majority leader, the presiding officer can decide who gets recognized, and who does not.
When one is not recognized, he cannot talk or else he would be declared as out of order and may be sanctioned appropriately.
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Anyway, back to the ABC elections.
There are names mentioned as possible contenders for the presidency of the ABC elections in the provincial level.
One is identified with the group of Gov Aris while the other one is with the minority group in the sanggunian.
I am placing my bet on the one belonging to the Aumentado group, because they have the numbers and majority of the mayors in the province are aligned with Aumentado.
Any mayor in his right mind would always feel safe being aligned with Aumentado than with the opposition for obvious reasons.
The 2025 midterm election is just around the corner. Because it is a midterm election, the election will be limited to the senator, members of the House of Representatives, down the line. The President and Vice President are not candidates.
Because he is not a candidate in the 2025 elections, the President can verily endorse and campaign for the candidates belonging to the admin party.
Who is the party chairman in the province?
The answer – Gov Aris Aumentado, who else.
This means that anybody who gets the basbas of Gov Aris will be included in the admin party in the province.
Kadtong mga mayor nga badlongon, parehas adtong Mayor nga feeling lawyer, nga way batasan pod kay wa gyod mohatag og bisan gamay na lang nga respeto ni Gov Aris kay Art Yap ra gyod kuno siya will find it very hard to insert himself in the admin party.
Wa pay respeto, mopagawas pa gyod og mga maot nga storya batok ni Gov Aris, nga morag ka-level lang sila, makatilaw na gyod og pait ning Mayora ni.
Laki na siya ha, dili bae.
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I remember that ABC elections many years ago where some ABC presidents were “kidnapped” in one of the pension houses in the city.
They were given money, and whisked right away to the city, kompletos rekados pa ang mga kalingawan ug inom, aron malingaw og dili mo-uli on the night before the elections.
Nabulilyaso kay nasakpan og diin gitagoan sa mga “kidnappers” og ang sunod hitabo, gisulong sa mga supporters ang pension house og gipagawas ang mga gipang-kidnap nga mga ABC presidents.
Nagubot intawon og maayo na lang nga dihay mga police og nalikayan gyod ang kagubot nga mosilaob pa.
Ingon adto ka gubot ang ABC elections.
Right now, hopefully dili na maparehas sa una nga kidnapanay. Hopefully, pasagdan lang ang mga ABC presidents nga mopili kon kinsay ilang gusto.
