UNA without NPC-2

First let me greet all Augustinians, religious men and women a happy feast day. Negros owes the gift of Catholic faith to the different religious orders under the mantle of St. Augustine and they still help this island in various capacities. The history of the Negros Church is incomplete without them from the founding of the first convent in Binalbagan in 1575 to the present day,

Now for the disintegrating UNA once the NPC fails to resolve the issue of the gubernatorial candidate. From where we stand, the only way for NPC to prevent the break-up of UNA is to maintain the status quo, but I think so much had happened that it is now almost impossible for NPC to renege on its word that the NPC candidate is VG Genaro Alvarez.

Of course, if NPC can dismiss Marañon without extending the basic courtesy of informing him that they have appointed a newcomer in his stead, NPC can make miracles and change its mind about Alvarez.

Isn't this the same way the Commission on Audit treated the Governor in relation to the Capitol lot – sitting on the contract without informing the governor why it is not acting in accordance with the Constitution and even after its own staff have recommended the approval?

This shows the power of those behind the move against Marañon and the progress of the province. The pity here is that our own leaders, people we once trusted are jumping into the control of these vested interests for their own ambitions.

I doubt NPC will do this because the stakes are very high that Marañon be replaced because that was the sine qua non in the influential personalities plans for Negros.

So, if and when UNA disintegrates, the entire blame must be lodged on the lap of NPC. It seems that NPC has its interest uppermost and whether UNA disintegrates or not is immaterial. Perhaps it thinks that the members of UNA can be induced with the “allowance” than with the alliance or to put it plainly, its members can be bought.

It should be interesting to know who can be trusted and who can be bought. But political history tells us money does not make the winner. It helps but many wealthy candidates have lost, not because they have the money, but because, in the words of an American television commentator last week, they do not have the message.

Applying to our situation, they lost because they sent a message of control and dictation. Filipinos can tolerate rich people but not totalitarians. This is the weakness of wealth – it cannot buy everything and everyone.

I think NPC misjudged Marañon. It probably thought that it can bulldoze the governor to do its bidding even if Marañon has to break the law and sense of fairness. Anyway, it will be less puzzling when the time comes.*

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