For Sonny Cabatu, politics and basketball don’t mix

VIGAN CITY — Former basketball star Sonny Cabatu seems not welcome in the hardcourt of politics.

Since the start of the official count, Cabatu, who ran for the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, has consistently landed in 12th place among 12 provincial board aspirants vying for five slots in Ilocos Sur’s first district.

Based on the final official tabulation of the Commission on Elections, Cabatu got only 3,385 votes compared to the 34,359 votes of fifth placer Ronnie Rapanut.

Talk is rife that Cabatu’s defeat was due to the fact that he did not campaign. He reportedly tapped a basketball coach to be his campaign manager and he joined the opposition party against Ilocos Sur political kingpin Luis "Chavit" Singson.

Singson won over former provincial board member Efren Rafanan for the governorship which the "juetengate whistle-blower" has held for three decades.

Singson’s son Ronald topped the first district provincial board race. His younger brother Jeremias, a former vice governor, ranked third.

Cabatu has refused to talk to local mediamen.

Cabatu became famous for being the first-ever No. 1 pick in the amateur draft in 1985. — Artemio Dumlao