Jamora widens lead; Mabilog giving up?
With Larry Jamora already tightening his grip on the lead in the city’s mayoralty race, one of his opponents, Jed Mabilog, is about ready to raise the white flag.
This was learned from a Mabilog barangay coordinator who confided to a well-known radio broadcaster recently that, beginning today, they will no longer conduct public gatherings. It appears that, with still two weeks to go in the campaign, the Mabilog camp will virtually stop campaigning. “Untat na kami rally (We will stop holding rallies),” the coordinator said. “Luwas sa magasto, diutay pa ang gakadto, ginabato pa kami.”(Aside from being expensive, very few people go and we are being stoned),” she added. This development confirms the observation published over the weekend by a popular local paper that “Jed’s campaign is running out of steam.”
Mabilog’s sparse crowds pale in comparison to the thousands that have been making a big hit out of the rallies that have been conducted by the Jamora group, “Team Pagbag-o” all over the city. The latest was the mammoth parade and rally held in Molo, the so-called homecourt of Mabilog.
As demoralization plagues the Mabilog camp, Jamora’s campaign is getting stronger by the day. Drawing enthusiastic support from virtually all sectors of the Iloilo City community, Jamora surged into the lead immediately after the Holy Week break and is peaking in popularity just at the right moment when campaign enters the homestretch.
The bandwagon phenomenon – very much sought after by political strategists as an essential key to victory – has already shaped up for Jamora inducing disarray, desertions and defections from the other camps. Supporters are abandoning the Mabilog camp in large numbers, demoralized and disillusioned by a campaign that has been reduced to black propaganda and mudslinging. Many of these deserters have ended up knocking on the doors of the Jamora camp bringing with them their own list of supporters.
The bandwagon effect — also called ‘úpod sa padaog’ (joining the winner) in the local dialect — has also lured many Barangay Captains to join the Jamora camp. Many of these Barangay Captains belong to the camp of Mayor Treñas, the last remaining prop to Mabilog’s candidacy. Treñas is reportedly trying to win back his leaders on behalf of Mabilog but it remains to be seen whether Treñas will put on the pressure or simply try to save his own skin as he is known to usually do.
Even the camp of Joe Espinosa III, Treñas’ candidate for vice mayor, is widely known to be supportive of Jamora. The Espinosa clan, which is a very sizeable bloc with some of them incumbent Barangay Captains and influential leaders in the transport sector and the waterfront communities, have already come out for Jamora.
As for the Gonzalez camp, many of them have been openly supportive of Jamora even in the presence of the former Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, Sr. In the various debates and candidates forums, it was mostly the Gonzalez supporters who are cheering for Jamora, resulting to speculations of a secret deal between Gonzalez and Jamora.
The truth is, the ageing Sec. Gonzalez has instructed his leaders: “Kon indi gid man ang tawo nyo sa akon, ihatag nyo kay Larry. (If your people are not for me, give them to Jamora).” Gonzalez’s extreme dislike for Mabilog is public knowledge. In fact, during one of the forums, the elder Gonzalez blurted out to Mabilog: “I will not give Iloilo City to an upstart.” (Willly Sotto)
