There is political war now waged!

I went to the covered court beside the barangay hall of Barangay Kasambagan, Cebu City last Thursday mid-morning, because it was identified as the venue for the distribution of a pre Christmas blessing. That was December 13, a good twelve days before Christmas. It harkened our hearts to be told that the proverbial Santa Claus was coming to our barangay with envelopes containing the cherished cash gift from the Cebu City government in the amount of P4,000 for every senior citizen. Personally, I thought the Santa would appear in the person of His Honor, Cebu City Mayor Michael L. Rama, to bring some smiles to us who are living modest lives. I really wanted to thank him from the bottom of my heart for championing our cause.

The idea of distributing the cash gift at the barangay level looked good. There were a lot of concerns senior citizens had to deal when many of our comrades converged at the city hall for it. Travelling to the city hall was, for instance, difficult. Some of us could not anymore hop spritely unto passenger jeepneys. We had to be aided for that purpose. For another, falling in line under the heart of the sun to wait for our turn at the paymaster’s table would only sap our waning strength.  So, going to the covered court in our barangay offered a great alternative.

Upon our arrival, one barangay councilor was at hand. Only Kagawad George Chang was there. There was no other barangay official to attend to us. The other councilors seemed to prefer to attend to their personal undertakings over helping make the process smooth for old folks. Of course, I could not expect our barangay captain, whom I described in a previous article as incompetent and mediocre, to be around. I was of the opinion that he was somewhere else pursuing his private employment and the welfare of the senior citizens would not matter to him.

Unfortunately, the envelopes were exhausted. There were other senior citizens who came ahead of me. Naturally, Hon. Chang and company served them first. Although it was not his fault, the kagawad was most apologetic in explaining the incident. I had to assure him that we had time to wait for the additional envelopes to be available.

While seated on a bleacher waiting for our gift, I noticed three large tarpaulins hanging. Two were “Type O” and another one advertising the candidacy of Hon. Joy Augustus Young for vice mayor.  As I knew it, those political advertisements belonged to only one group. In other words, the covered court of the barangay served only as the advertisement tool of only one party.

Believing that it was rather unfair, I asked Hon. Chang if he could try to level the field. He needed not tilt the contest in favor of anyone group. If elections were a matter of choice, the barangay should attempt to present all possible contenders to the constituents. I suggested to him that he should also put up streamers that tend to demonstrate the parity of the situation. Because there were two Type O tarpaulins, it would just be fair if there were also two advertisements from the Team Rama. In fact, I pointed out to Hon. Chang that a tarpaulin of Hon. Edgardo C. Labella should also be placed alongside that of Vice Mayor Young because they are the ones contesting the vice mayoralty in May 2013. This Hon. Chang should do, on the assumption that placing political ads this early does not constitute to be a violation of any law.

Hon. Chang told me that days earlier, he already placed made such moves. But, the barangay captain refused to allow the hanging of Team Rama tarpaulins at any part of the covered court. It dawned on me then that not only was the captain incompetent and mediocre, he, at times, acted also as a mindless “peon” of a political power even if by doing so, he portrayed being a small time dictator.

From this Kasambagan milieu, I could imagine what is happening citywide. There is war waged by Type O much ahead of the elections, which the Team Rama, perhaps restrained by scruples and its own sense of propriety, lets alone. Whether playing with a high sense of dignity is worth it, only the results of the May 2013 elections can tell.