Duso, butong

In English, that means, push and pull. In our childhood days  when there was no television and movies came weekly and we could not pay the ten centavos for entrance, we played duso-butong to see who is the smartest and the strongest. It was a good show and we enjoyed the game even if some of us went home with a black-eye, a sprain, or bruises. When played in the river, it was Hari sa Bato. But that is a game gone that young kids could not care less to listen to or play.

But our two top provincial officials, at least Vice Governor Genaro Alvarez is playing the game. One day he is reported gearing for battle by challenging Governor Freddie Marañon and then he resorts to a guessing game. The charge of murder against his son, Paul, he declared, will not stop them, the family, from engaging in political combat. The case will not hinder them. And so the battle lines were drawn, the sword unsheathed and the enemy identified.

Or so we were led to think.

After all, the family has been engaged for generations in this kind of war and they had mostly won. Of course, the son is not the father, and sometimes, as the poet says, “the child becomes the father of the man.”  

Last week the news said that Alvarez claimed that nothing is final yet – which means that he can change his mind and the peace maintained.

Rep. Albee Benitez, in an interview after swearing in new members of the Liberal Party in Bácolod, though not new but recycled politicians, threw a damper into the Marañon-Alvarez fight saying that their group, the United Negros Alliance, has not yet formally decided on their bets for governor and vice-governor. According to Benitez, this is their process and until then, nothing is certain.

This is duso-butong game and it seems politicians are giving the media and the people a goose chase. First, Alvarez was gung ho and then says nothing is final. Now here comes Benitez who said they have yet to decide.

Are they taking people for fools? Are they making people dance on the top of a needle or are they really so unsure they don’t know how to decide?

At least only Marañon is certain and adamant, regardless of the candidate that the Nationalist People’s Coalition or the UNA will field against him. There are no maybes and perhaps, but he will fight anybody and run any race and even break a record, he says.

So while his possible opponent cannot decide, Marañon has decided to push and to pull while the others were trying to decide whether to push or to pull or perhaps, push Marañon back to the Capitol by pulling out.

I don’t think that the anti-Marañon camp has not decided. They have, but they failed to push Marañon out. The series of news “leaks” were planned and issued gradually as if to test the waters.

Note the series of events. The first leak was the meeting with NPC founder, Danding Cojuangco by Alvarez with Eli Tajanlangit present. Nobody can pry from Eli any information involving Cojuangco. He clams up like the clams of  the Mindanao Deep.

Why was this information leaked? If this was a private meeting it should have been left secret, so the leak of the information was the first step to check the waters. Was Marañon intimidated by the possibility that Cojuanco will not support him?

Not the least, and in fact, majority of the mayors, headed by E. B. Magalona Mayor David Lacson immediately came out in support of Marañon. The governor responded by making a categorical statement that he would run against any and all. Nineteen mayors threw their support to him.

Then another attempt to tell Marañon he is not the NPC candidate when the NPC swore in new members without extending the basic courtesy of informing him of the new members. Marañon, again, instead of being intimidated brushed the insult off.

Once more the events unfolded with the NPC saying that it has new members and that Marañon is no longer the UNA chairman, the post that was allegedly taken over by Mayor Isidro Zayco, in effect pushing out Marañon from the UNA leadership. Marañon was unfazed and he reiterated his determination to run for reelection.

There is something intriguing in the developments. Alvarez claimed that Cojuangco has already retired from politics and his name should not be dragged into their game plan. Why should he not be? If indeed he is no longer active in political affairs, why did Alvarez bring him into the game in the first place, and for weeks there was no denial? Was dropping Cojuangco’s name intended to threaten and make Marañon whimper in the corner?*

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