Common candidates

The mere fact that they keep insisting that there is no such thing as a rift in LP-NPC partnership, simply affirms that there is a strong rumor about such a situation has caused a major threat to the solidarity of the coalition.

Yesterday’s denial was not the last one from the spokesmen of both the LP and the NPC. Of course, the spokesmen of both camps are expected to dish out the same denial of a rift.

Per se that is itself an affirmation that the story of the rumors of a rift between the two political camps must be serious enough to have warranted repeated denial by the groups’ respective spokespersons.

And there is something else. It seems that everybody seems to have forgotten the hazards of having common candidates in a party slate.

It is dangerous for both the common candidates as well as for the entire slates.

No, I’m talking through experience. I have seen similar instances in the past where common candidates ended up either beaten or fared poorly in the final counting.

Look at it from this point of view. The rest of a slate already agrees that a big slice of the vote will go to the common bets for a political position. So what will they be battling for? That they don’t fare worse off than in the past and end up at the bottom.

Thus, I will not be surprised if the rabid political supporters of a candidate does not forego the vote for the common candidate, but also pull them down to assure that their favorite son gets the upper hand ultimately.

That’s the reason why the common candidate usually spends more than the regular members of a party ticket. Why? Because he or she must make sure that he does not get sabotaged by his own companions in the slate.

And there are a lot of irritants between the supporters of a common bet and the ticket members. And therein lies the seeds of misunderstanding that ultimately leads to the rift between the common bet and the rest of his or her party mates.

Of course, initially, when one is declared a common candidate, that boosts the standing of a common bet. But when the realization of what that entails sets in, the candidates are no longer easy while they go against campaigning and still have to guard their backs against intrigues and efforts to expand minor conflicts into a major rift.

On the other hand, there is the problem of reacting to an attack by the opposition. Or just rumors of what they suspect against the slate.

The spokesmen of both parties are supposed to be on their toes all the time. So with the common candidates. Here , they can become bailed into an unconscious error of appreciation of a gossip or rumor. And there are many of these occasions when a political bet suddenly finds himself or herself in trouble when actually talking on his or her own sans his/or her spokesman.

As the campaign goes on, one can be sure that there will be an avalanche of intrigues and rumors of rifts not only within the LP-NPC camps, but also among the various groups that are made up disparate political bodies.

This is one reason why politicos must always be rested and make sure that they do not succumb to fatigue when in the field. Very often one finds it convenience to keep his mouth shut rather than dish something just to please journalists of all persuasions.

But one thing sure. Being a common candidate is not a sure fire entry to the win column of any electoral contest. It can also be dangerous.

***

The Sangguniang Panlalawigan denied that it was responsible for loss of the P3.8 million requested for the power supply of the Mambukal Summer Resort. Now that is something which the SP will have a hard time trying to explain. The badly needed financial augmentation for the power needs of the summer resort could have generated an additional P3,957,637.40 in January this year against the P3,492,632.

Ellen Marie Vasquez, reacreation and welfare services officer V, said that the project revenue loss for six months for the eight unoccupied villas will reach P20.88 million.

In short, what is best indicated is that what had been intended as was the best guarantee that the province will be earring from its investments in Mambukal and other economic enterprises, instead, it is SP that seems to be derailing all these earning programs and projects of the provincial government. Worse, only because they are vying with Governor Alfredo Maranon Jr., to be governor of the province.

A very expensive venture by the SP that militates against the interest of the province of Negros Occidental.

***

The robbery at the Prenda Negrense and Jewelry Store four days ago, of an estimated P2.5 billion in jewelry, is reportedly nearing solution with two of the three suspects identified, according to the police.

Of course, as usual, the police are not naming them. In short, that means they are not so sure of their findings. And, perhaps, they will keep their identities secret until the next major crime in the city.

The manager of the pension house has reportedly eyed a former employee as possibly he involved in the burglary of the Prenda Negrense. Why? Simply because was from a province near the province of the principal suspect.

And, he failed to report for work the day after the burglary.

The way the police have been dishing it out, most likely the thing is going down the drain as another unsolved crime in Bacolod. As with other unsolved crimes in the city.

Cross your fingers, ladies and gentlemen!*

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