From out of the blue, congressional aspirant of the third district Loboc Mayor Leon Calipusan found himself in a ‘lose-lose situation’ that he announced Tuesday that he was withdrawing from the race. Not a few third district voters were jolted of the announcement but on hindsight, the same affected followers of the Loboc mayor opined that they respected his decision “if that was for the sake of party unity”. An official candidate of the Liberal Party, Calipusan backed out in the middle of the contest after he sensed that majority of the 19 mayors in his district affiliated with the ruling party have another candidate in mind. The LP mayors made no pretentions of their preference to support incumbent Cong. Arthur Yap. Asked to react of Calipusan’s withdrawal, Cong. Yap refused to make any comment. It was not known why he chose to keep mum when it could have been his finest moment in his political career to make interesting sound bytes after ending up without any opponent to worry. But for Yap to be niggardly in his comments was a good political decision knowing that he no longer in pursuit of the much-needed propaganda mileage now that he is unopposed.

With Yap, the ‘last man standing in the race for third district legislator”, it’s all over but the shouting as his reelection is sealed for good. His reelection with nary any sign of a fight was his second. As a greenhorn, he became a third district congressman for the first time without any adversary. It was former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who sealed Yap’s fate in 2010 that he would assume office as congressman without putting up a fight. Then congressman Eladio Jala was poised to contest his bid but GMA was fast to the draw and offered the come backing solon a juicy position as commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Lawyer Eliseo Labaria, Comelec provincial election supervisor, quoting the mayor’s withdrawal statement, said the embattled Loboc mayor cited “personal and family” as his reasons for retracting his congressional bid that left the LP no official candidate in the May 13, 2013 mid-term elections.

Reasons

But in his radio declaration, Calipusan gave other reasons and lamented his sentiment against his party colleagues. He said he withdrew his candidacy because most of his party-mates, especially majority of 19 municipal mayors in the district, “did not recognize and throw support his being an LP official candidate.” In fact, he said, some of those municipal mayors even went to the extent of campaigning against him. He did not, however, name the mayors. Most of them took an oath under LP, but publicly manifesting their support to his opponent, whose wife hails from Loboc town. He said he did not see a unity from those mayors who run under LP banner but support Yap, who runs under the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) and he sees this as another “politics of convenience.” It may be recalled that Calipusan was reportedly hand-picked from among other hopefuls --- former schools superintendent Elpidio Jala and businessman Angelo Balili, all from Loboc ---- not by the decision of the provincial LP hierarchy but from the national party directorate. Calipusan said that he filed his candidacy because of the party’s crusade of good governance and to follow the “daang matuwid” of President Noynoy Aquino. But all these are in vain, he said. Additionally, he threw his bid to be the next congressman because he wanted to replicate what he has achieved particularly in the field of tourism that catapulted his town to greater heights in making the Loboc River Cruise the town’s signature and all-time tourism come-on that attracts tourists from far and wide.

Party’s concern

Gov. Edgar Chatto, who called from his hospital bed while recuperating in Cebu City, told his weekly press conference at the Governor’s mansion Friday, confirmed Calipusan’s withdrawal from the race. He said that the party hierarchy from national down has already learned about it. But he said that he and the party have respected the decision of Mayor Calipusan. The governor said that Calipusan was picked by the national party officials and not by the provincial party directorate. The mayor had undergone and hurdled the selection process prior to his being chosen as the party’s official bet for congressman in third district, he said. Former senator Ernesto Herrera, meanwhile, said in a report that Calipusan’s withdrawal of his candidacy stemmed from lack of support from party-mates and besides his opponent is an incumbent which could be an uphill battle. He added that there is an “element of treason” making Mayor Calipusan a victim, referring to the latter’s statement that he gained no support from his party-mates.  The former senator expressed concern that such move by Mayor Calipusan showed how immature political parties are. Politicians, he said, congregate every time an administration steers government for the purpose of, not for the power of the party, but the power of the position they may grasp. He added that politicians should not rely more on political party but should form their own people’s movement they can truly depend on.