I was in Manila most of last week and did not get to follow the local news. Of course, someone sent me a video of Bacolod Mayor Bing Leonardia’s press conference, surrounded by his party mates in Grupo Progreso (GP), accusing Rep. Greg Gasataya of “political deception” contrary to the latter’s earlier statement that he will remain “neutral.”
Hmmm…I was not surprised at all except that the timing was a bit early, until I connected it to the renewal of Job Order contracts at the beginning of the year.
I’ve always said and told Greg then that his “neutral” position will haunt him someday. But, to his credit, Greg was able to maintain that neutrality in his campaign sortie and have remained friends with everybody since his filing.
Thus, it was surprising when Mayor Bing suddenly turned the tables around and accused Greg of deception and calling his move a “sham.” Such strong words from a supposed friend and political mentor that even included Greg in his tarpaulin during GP’s candidacy launch.
But who exactly betrayed who? Is it really all about mere color choice? We all know that GP is red and the mayor’s contender, former Cong. Albee Benitez, is white. But recently, Greg has taken to wearing white which actually looks good on him. To make that as an excuse that Greg is probably siding with the white team is very petty.
Mayor Bing said he has proof of his accusations against Greg. So what is it? Was the support Greg enjoys from Albee a political deception? From the get-go, Albee openly said he will not field a candidate against Greg and will in fact support his friend. That’s what friends are for! What about Mayor Bing? Did he extend support to Greg’s campaign in whatever way friends can do for each other?
The silence from GP mates that were ‘friends’ of Greg is deafening as well. It was not too long ago that Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran and Greg were actually doing the rounds sans the mayor, in giving assistance to the public. But I guess politics outweighs friendships at this point of the campaign.
I listened to Greg’s interview over Aksyon Radyo on Wednesday, December 1, and I was surprised to hear him say that Mayor Bing even attended his birthday celebration less than a couple of weeks ago. According to Greg, they were cordial to each other and there was no mention of sham or political deception at all.
If indeed Mayor Bing was a real friend to Greg who accepted the latter’s position to remain neutral, he could have at least warned Greg that there are rumors of him going renegade and that this was unacceptable. But to call for a press conference and shame a friend because of this, instead of a phone call at the very least, was a bit overboard.
Greg remained silent for days after the very public accusation. But last Tuesday, he released a statement which bears the question as to who was the real orchestrator of a sham. Greg said he had earlier knowledge that political operators of Mayor Bing were actually behind the filing of a congressional candidate in Bacolod. He opted to keep mum about it even if these reports were verified as well by allies. That candidate is Danny Atayde who is being backed, I was told, by BREDCO people.
I am not privy as to who Danny Atayde is and whether his intentions are for real. It takes much courage to mount a campaign against a sitting congressman who was made to believe he will continue to be supported by both his GP ‘friends’ and the contending party of Albee, unless he is backed up by much moolah.
I hope Danny is not a mere pawn in the wider scheme of things because I too had my suspicions when Atayde was suddenly thrust into the political limelight the day after Greg’s picture was included by GP in their slate.
Mayor Bing’s statement that they might support a congressional candidate other than Greg is very loaded with meaning and makes him all the more suspect that the “sham” he has accused Greg might just be machinations of his own people.
“Political color coding is too petty for such a hasty conclusion of political deception. For me, political deception is projecting that you honor my neutrality while your key political leaders on the ground are acting otherwise,” Greg said and oh boy, was he on point with that one.
Greg made mention that some political leaders and supporters have called him to send their message of support. Some said, they will go with the flow but will translate their commitment to votes for him, while others will take the chance of earning the Mayor’s ire to show their full support for him.
The veiled threat hanging upon their heads is the possibility of their quota for JOs getting axed by the city government. And there are thousands of them being used as a political weapon by the administration. Such a shame and why I believe more in Albee’s plan, not to totally get rid of the JOs but to ensure some deserving ones will be given an opportunity to advance and be regularized, rather than be held hostage by the whims of those in power.
Greg said that this election is going to be his defining moment and will show the true characters of people he considered as friends and supporters. “I will rely on relationships I’ve built through the years and I am thankful that there are many who continue to value relationships over money.”
Well said, Cong. Greg. People will eventually see the real colors and the brains behind the real sham.*