Former Tagum City Mayor Rey Chiong Uy said Edwin Jubahib would eat dust in his battle against Rodney del Rosario in the race for Davao del Norte governor in next year’s election.
RODOLFO “RODNEY” DEL ROSARIO Jr. with father former governor Rodolfo del Rosario
“Bug-at kargahon. Lisod bitbiton” (Heavy to carry. Hard to lift), said Uy in describing his party mate Jubahib’s chances.
Uy is running for vice governor as Jubahib’s running mate under the Alvarez Wing bloc of former House Speaker abd re-electionist 1st District Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez.
Uy’s double Bisaya lines in English mean, under the current political atmosphere heating up for the 2019 mid-term elections, that Jubahib, a former bus conductor, is hard to sell as a candidate.
Uy’s assessment dished out during an interview with Tagum City-based mediamen last week, comes as a big slap on virtual unknown Jubahib, who is up against a candidate backed by the formidable political machinery of Governor Anthony del Rosario and 2nd District Rep. Antonio Floirendo Jr.
Rodney, member of the DavNor Provincial Board and older brother of the governor and cousin of Floirendo, runs under the banner of the Hugpong Ng Pagbabago (HNP), the regional political party of presidential daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.
In next year’s race, Gov. del Rosario dumped a reelection bid to run against Alvarez, with Floirendo versus Vice Governor Alan Dujali of Alvarez Wing in the 2nd District race.
Uy, who is up against HNP’s outgoing Board member Joey Millan, had earlier applied to be vice gubernatorial bet of the HNP to avoid an encounter with re-electionist Tagum City Mayor Allan Rellon, who is running for his third and final term. Rellon beat Uy’s son Oyo in the 2013 mayoral race and the come-backing Uy in the 2016 contest.
Before the deadline for submission of Certificate of Candidacy (COC), Uy joined the Alvarez Wing saying Del Rosario and Floirendo disregarded his request to be the gubernatorial bet of their group.
Del Rosario said, however, that Uy, his long-time political ally, could not wait for HNP to conduct a consultation to decide on its candidates.
Jubahib is given zero-chance against Rodney and Uy, a popular figure when he was Tagum City mayor, in the media interview, said he would not trade positions if the Alvarez Wing opts for a last minute substitution to pit him against Rodney.
Uy’s statement giving Jubahib no chance against Rodney was discussed by Davao City-based broadcaster Al Genoguin in his program Kontra Balanse on DXOW on Monday morning. Genoguin said his comment was based on Uy’s interview with the Tagum City mediamen.
House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, who has threatened to spank Davao del Norte Governor Anthony G. del Rosario for reportedly opposing construction of a P1.8 billion flyover project in Tagum City, has found an ally in Mayor Allan Rellon.
Tagum City Mayor Rellon said he is supporting Speaker Alvarez on the fly-over, the first billion-peso project in his city.
During an interview at City Hall, Mayor Rellon was however evasive and did not respond when asked if he is also supporting Speaker Alvarez on his threat to spank the governor.
Akong tamparoson ang kinsa man ang mokontra niini nga proyekto ( I will spank whoever will oppose this project), earlier said Speaker Alvarez after Gov. del Rosario said the project was not included in the province’s Annual Implementing Plan (AIP).
Members of the media apparently siding with the Speaker drummed up the governor’s statement as an opposition to the project.
The flyover project could not be found in the Davao del Norte AIP because it is a national project implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
And contrary to the Speaker’s claim that he sought funds for the project, the flyover project has long been recommended by the Regional Development Council (RDC) and proposed during the Aquino administration long before Alvarez became Speaker.
There is no surprise if Mayor Rellon is backing Speaker Alvarez on the flyover issue against Gov. del Rosario.
Alvarez, who is seeking reelection in 2019 for the Davao del Norte First District seat in Congress, has already picked reelectionist Mayor Rellon for his line-up that includes Vice Governor Allan Dujali running against Second District congressman Tonyboy Floirendo.
Mayor Rellon will be facing former Compostela Valley Governor and now ComVal Senior Board Member Arturo “Chiongkee” Uy, who will be supported by Floirendo and Gov. del Rosario.
Speaker Alvarez’s reelection was expected to be contested by either former Governor Rodolfo del Rosario or his estranged wife Emily.
Speaker Alvarez’s political stock took a fatal nosedive this week after Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte, said she would campaign against the Speaker in the coming election.
The lady mayor dimmed the Speaker’s reelection following his attack on the recently-launched Hugpong ng Pagbabago, a regional party organized by Mayor Duterte-Carpio.
Speaker Alvarez may also lose the House speakership before 2019 with Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio urging members of the House to kick out Alvarez as Speaker.
The mayor said that Speaker Alvarez has become a liability to the nation and the administration of President Duterte.
President Rodrigo Duterte said that Davao del Norte, under the command of Governor Antonio Rafael del Rosario, will continue to become one of the fastest-growing provinces in Mindanao.
“With its vast resources and strong, resilient, and vibrant people, the province will be able to achieve greater development at par with the rest of the nation,” the President said in his speech on Saturday, July 2, during the 50th founding anniversary celebration of Davao del Norte in the capital city of Tagum.
President Duterte assured the public that the government remains committed to fulfilling its promise in giving an equal share of the national wealth to Mindanao.
“Rest assured that the government remains committed in fulfilling its promise in giving an equal share of the national wealth to Mindanao, including Davao del Norte,” said President Duterte.
“Use the money to uplift the lives of your people and realize your great potential. All I ask in return is that you remain committed to the continuing war against illegal drugs, corruption, criminality, and terrorism,” he added, saying that both the government and the public must remain “steadfast and united” against the threats in the way of life.
The Chief Executive also underscored that he does not want to compromise with terrorists involved in the Marawi crisis.
“I will never, never, never, compromise with terrorism,” Duterte said, adding that the government will fight until the “last terrorist is executed.”
The President also expressed that he had a “heavy heart” knowing that many of his troops and police were dying because of the crisis in Marawi City.
“If there is one person in this Republic and this country who is traveling with a heavy heart, it’s me, because I ordered the Armed Forces and the police to go there and fight and perhaps to die,” he said.
President Duterte added that he had to do it because it is his constitutional duty to preserve and defend the Filipinos, adding that as President, he cannot accept the existence of terrorism in the Philippines.
He also reiterated in his speech that he would not negotiate with terrorists.
“You are living witnesses to what is unfolding in the Middle East. Wala… there’s no redeeming values I know… We will not go out there until the last terrorist is executed. (PND/PNA)
Uy’s double Bisaya lines in English mean, under the current political atmosphere heating up for the 2019 mid-term elections, that Jubahib, a former bus conductor, is hard to sell as a candidate.
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