Lawyer Augustinus “Dodong” Gonzaga and runningmate Jose Antonio “Toto” Veloso considered governance and service to the people a covenant with God as they led their slate in filing their candidacies under the Liberal Party (LP) on Friday. Gonzaga has been touted as having the finest vision and the most capable among the contenders for mayor of Bohol’s lone city and provincial capital. He committed to the Tagbilaran constituency a leadership at its best. Before going to the city Comelec office, the group joined the LP provincial ticket led by reelectionist Gov. Edgar Chatto and Vice Gov. Concepcion Lim and the three congressional candidates in asking for God’s guidance in a sunrise holy mass at the K of C church. Chatto, Lim, Rep. Rene Relampagos and Board Members Cesar Tomas Lopez, Abeleon Damalerio and Venzencio Arcamo of the First District, where the city belongs, fully support the Gonzaga-Veloso line-up.

Reelectionist Kag. Alberta Torralba, former Kag. Jingo “Mr. Expose” Rama and lawyer and former Board Member Alexander Lim lead the formidable cast for councilors who include Engr. Vicente “Agalon” Polinar, Panfilo Bumaat, Gibrylu “LJ” Lumayag, Greggy Gatal, Jonas Cacho, lawyer Bryan Gaviola and Fortunato Concon. Polinar, who is a mediaman, is a former board member of the province of Bukidnon while Concon is a former vice mayor of Catigbian. Former Mayor Jose Torralba is the campaign manager of the Gonzaga-Veloso group. In a breakfast gathering also attended by their families, key leaders, supporters and friends immediately after the mass, Gonzaga presented his agenda for a city hall of sound financial management and responsive social governance.

An instant press conference followed before Gonzaga, Veloso and their 10 bets for councilors, all wearing yellow shirts, finally proceeded to the Comelec office and filed their candidacies before Friday noon. The city under Gonzaga as mayor and Veloso as vice mayor is assured this early of full development support from the governor and First District congressman. Pres. Benigno S. Aquino III himself is more than willing to help in transforming Tagbilaran into a truly progressive city once his LP candidates led by Gonzaga and Veloso are given the mandate. Gonzaga has been obsessed to administer city hall pursuant to the president’s “straight path” advocacy and practice. Relampagos laughed off intrigue that he and Chatto “blocked” the bid of another city group for official LP blessing because the president and the national party hierarchy have long known who are their men here of his same vision.

CHANGE FOR GOOD

The official city LP slate, also known as the Gonzaga-Veloso (GV) Express, has accepted the people’s challenge to “restore the beauty of Tagbilaran and dignity of its city hall.” But Veloso, a former vice mayor, rallied the Tagbilaranons to also do their part because the government is a partnership of the people and their leaders. Gonzaga is committed to institute a participative government that talks and listens to barangay officials and folk, different sectors, civil society groups and the constituency in general. Incumbent officials, particularly those seeking higher seats, do not do this when they ought to and, therefore, can only brag about and not truly claim to attend to the lingering complaints over bad roads, unruly streets, mismanagement of health programs, absence of transparency, abuse of power, misuse of public funds, etcetera. Their silence only proves their lack of political will and, thus, undeserving of the people’s trust, according to some sectors.

Gonzaga cited the huge waste of money---a P50 million at that---for anapog solution to road craters. “The P50 million anapog loan was a folly.” Of the mayoralty contenders, only Gonzaga criticized such a waste of public fund, even calling it “anomalous and highly-irregular.” He hinted that city hall could have applied for a gratuitous permit from the province to quarry road materials and thus not used huge fund for an otherwise temporary solution to a seemingly permanent problem. The Blue Card program has been suspended as city hall’s obligations to the hospitals accumulated, lamented Gonzaga who wants it well-implemented and efficient if he becomes mayor. The said pro-poor health program was created by an ordinance of Veloso when he was vice mayor but the incumbent administration has mismanaged it. Gonzaga and Veloso will also have the Botica sa Barangay functional, too, after a comprehensive health mapping.

Solid waste management or garbage disposal is another concern that demands a city administration that knows how to do it considering that no city area now is environmentally-approved for a huge permanent dumpsite. The city LP standardbearer expressed dismay over the lack of policemen as city streets have become more unruly, even getting to be criminal fast lane. Tagbilaran must truly be a friendship city of nice physical image because it is Bohol’s tourism gateway as well, Gonzaga said. While he has his own better programs on different concerns, Gonzaga will likewise revive the program on free school uniforms and supplies without violating auditing rules. Many children of poor families go to school starving, and the government may find means for their meal allowance, according to Gonzaga.

The councilors of Gonzaga and Veloso are proud of their tandem as most qualified to run the city because are most equal to the challenges. They believed that with the support of the provincial and congressional leaders, the city can really improve in the Gonzaga-Veloso time.Among the council bets, Polinar is one most interested in instituting programs and policies responding to the demands for livelihood. Rama will have the city government’s economic enterprises well-maintained and earning like the integrated bus terminal, central public market and slaughterhouse. The Gonzaga-Veloso slate admitted, however, that all its visions can only remain as such if the feared electronic election fraud triumphs in the end. The LP group has identified counter strategies to protect the sanctity of the ballots. (Ven rebo Arigo)