Two former vice-mayors go for Mabilog
Two past vice-mayors of Iloilo City have openly declared their support for the Liberal Party mayoralty candidate, incumbent Vice-Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, firmly believing he is “the key to prosperity.”
In a general assembly of an estimated 12,000 active supporters of Mabilog and “vice-mayorable” Julienne “Jamjam” Baronda at the Iloilo Provincial Capitol compound the other night, former vice-mayors Guillermo dela Llana and Vic Facultad, plus ex-councilor Jun Jacela, joined the vice-mayor on stage amid deafening shouts and leaps of joy.
With Dinagyang’s Tribu Paghidaet – champion of the recent Aliwan Festival in Manila – re-enacting their winning tribal dances, the occasion almost looked like a victory celebration already.
The audience comprised 7,200 barangay leaders, 2,000 youth leaders and 3,000 “walk-inners,” including senior citizens.
Dela Llana, an advocate of better privileges for senior citizens, is a known ally of Mabilog.
But the appearance of Facultad, who had previously participated in a convention to elect “mayorable” Raul Gonzalez’s running mate, was unexpected.
“Diri ako sa manug-daog,” Vic Facultad quipped when asked why he is for Mabilog.
When reminded that he had participated in Lakas-Kampi convention where councilor Antonio Pesina emerged “winner” to represent the party as official candidate for vice-mayor, Facultad said he had been trapped into participating in a pre-arranged result.
Mabilog assured his audience that his priorities if elected mayor are education and health. His immediate goals are the establishment of a city college and a general hospital.
“In the six years that I have served, three as councilor and another three as vice-mayor,” Mabilog reminded the audience, “I have not abused my position. Wala ako nagwaslik-poder. My track record is transparent. I don’t have any case of graft and corruption.”
He appealed to his audience to campaign not only for his local candidates under Team Palanga but also for the Liberal Party national slate led by Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and Mar Roxas for president and vice-president, respectively.
“With my partymates Noynoy and Mar at the top,” Mabilog said, “I would be in an ideal position to bring in projects that would make us Ilonggos prosperous.”
The heavy audience turnout in that gathering, Mabilog told this newspaper, is a reflection of survey results made by three radio networks on the mayoralty race. In the final survey made jointly by Random Access Consultants, Inc. (RACI) and Bombo Radyo, Mabilog scored way ahead with 43.8%, followed by Raul Gonzalez Sr. with 27.8% and Larry Jamora with 20.7%.
Wilfredo Ngipin, president of Bubong Ilonggo, a federation of 26 urban poor associations, expressed in the shortest words why they are for Mabilog: “We feel his sincerity to improve our lives.”
