IT'S an unusual case in Davao del Sur when two Baclayanon politicians tried to outwit each other to garner as much votes in the vice gubernatorial seat. What is sadder is that the two are brothers. In the end, Arsenio Latasa, a lawyer, beat his brother and the past vice governor Simplicio to claim Davao del Sur after lording it over Digos City when he completed his three terms as city mayor there. The siblings, born of Godofredo and Hilaria Latasa of Barangay Laya Baclayon town has long settled in Digos, Davao del Sur bringing with them the traditional Bol-anon character of hardwork and the fascination for politics. Arsenio has to contend with running as vice governor, which pitted him against his brother despite the fact that his intention was for the province's top seat, he bared to the Post.

The vice Governor, who took up his pre-law at the Divine Word College (now Holy Name University) has lawyers Albert Tinampay, Salvador Grupo and Monica Manding-Montemayor with Roland Inting and retired General Alberto Olario as classmates. He finished his law however at the Ateneo de Davao, he said. A public servant with a track record that gained him the necessary exposure, Arsenio was Board Member in 1986 and then eventually got elected as regular board member in 1988. By 1992, he ran for mayor for Digos and completed his clean record of three terms without any defeats. Latasa's biggest effort was for the conversion of the town into a city, and when it happened, it was just natural that he would win as the first city mayor. With his political foes seeing the incident as possible breach in legality, they posed a question that reached as far as the Supreme Court to resolve. It hasn't been decided as yet, and he has completed the term, he said.

And in the recent political positionings, Vice Guv Latasa admitted he wanted the top seat as his brother was the incumbent and the running mate of incumbent Governor Douglas Cagas. The decision however was not ideally followed following the effects of Senator Chiz Escudero backing off from the Presidential race, which shook and sent ripples across the country's political alignments. It was sad, he shared, because he would be facing off with his brother. With negotiations from his party, it was decided that he would partner with Cong. Claude Bautista and he would be meeting his brother head-on. Confident however that Digos City and his term as board member would deliver the votes for him, Latasa pursued and won with a good margin against his opponents. Latasa amassed a plurality of votes that even the total votes of his three other opponents put together would not be enough to beat him.