NEWS: Comval officials troop under Lakas-CMD

Oathtaking affair silent on Lakas-Kampi merger

nov 7

Almost all of the incumbent municipal officials and barangay captains swore in
and affirmed as members of the administration’s Lakas-Christian Muslim
Democrats (Lakas-CMD) yesterday morning in a mass oathtaking and affirmation rite held at Assumption of Nabunturan Gym in the capital town of Compostela Valley.

Comval officials lead in the oathtaking and affirmation rite of Lakas-CMD Thursday at ACN Gym in Nabunturan capital town. Almost all municipal officials and barangay captains in the province swear in for the administration party. Third from left is 1st District Cong. Manuel "Way Kurat" Zamora and at his right is Lakas-CMD regional chairman Davao del Norte Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario, and Comval provincial elder and Compostela Valley's father former Cong. Prospero Amatong (Rural Urban News photo/cha monforte)

From left: Monkayo Mayor Manuel "Junjun" Brillantes, Boardmember Dexter Lopoz, Pantukan Mayor Celso Sarenas and Mabini Mayor Amir Muñoz and other officials swear in and affirm as members of Lakas-CMD party in Compostela Valley (Rural Urban News photo/cha monforte)

Lakas-CMD provincial chairman Governor Arturo “Chiongkee” Uy said in
his keynote speech after the oathtaking and affirmation of some 361 new and old
Lakas-CMD members urged members of what appears as now a mammoth monolithic administration party in the province “to set aside personal
interests” in keeping a “real political unity” in the province .

He assured that under the Lakas-CMD “no single party mate will be left
behind unattended”.

Lakas-CMD regional chairman Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario, on the other hand, rallied new and old Lakas-CMD members to become models and examples “to
convince the poor  to make the same unity” as he witnessed a unity of
municipal and barangay officials yesterday.

Stressing on the importance of a party and unity in the progress of the
country, he expressed hope that the Lakas-CMD party would remain strong in the
county under the leadership of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

“I am confident for the victory of the Lakas-CMD national candidates as
well as the local candidates in 2010,” he said.

The Davao del Norte governor was silent on the merger of Lakas and Kampi parties where he and Speaker Prospero Nograles came to be a leading figures in a regional merger held at Davao City last June.

Neither other provincial party stalwarts talked nor explained of the merger yesterday.

The province in the last 2007 polls became a hotly contested political arena in a  feverish electoral contest between the two pro-administration parties, Lakas-CMD and Kampi, with former Gov. Jose Caballero riding on Kampi party in his failed congressional bid in the second district, and his former allies current Monkayo Manuel “Junjun” Brillantes and now Maragusan Mayor Cesar Colina Sr rowing in the first district via the minority but a pro-administration Liberal party and Kampi, respectively.

Yesterday, Brillantes and Colina mayors swore to become members of Lakas-CMD along with the rest of the Lakas reaffirmist town mayors and boardmembers.

Boardmembers Armando Codilla and Dexter Lopoz, then with Kampi, and Boardmember Neri Barte of Brillantes’ Liberal party, also swore in.

The “father of the province”, as what emcee Boardmember Maricar
Zamora-Apsay called to former Cong. Prospero Amatong, the provincial Lakas-CMD
chairman emeritus, also gave his message of asking the audience for a
pause whether yesterday’s affair was for real unity. He emphasized that real unity
comes with the “character and substance” in the leadership of the Lakas-CMD members and aims of giving service for the people.

District 1 Congressman Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora yesterday became a
noted spectacle following serious messages of the provincial party stalwarts
when he cracked  a new Way Kurat joke of “inviting all the people of the
world to go to Monkayo” this coming November 16 for the birthday of a
letter writer that ended up to be him.

He caused the audience to stand up for his own version of the known Willie
Revillame’s hep-hep hurray standuppper to their loud awakened cheers.

District 2 Cong. Rommel Amatong earlier made his welcome remarks.

In an interview, barangay captain Wahidon Takasan of Matiao, Pantukan, however however expressed skepticism that the attained political unity could not be
threatened by partymates themselves fighting against each others when election time comes.

“Karon uban pa apan pag-abot na sa panahon bisag way oposisyon basig mag-unay na tungod kay normal gyud nga may ambisyon. Unsay sulbad ani?,” he said.

His brother Boardmember Moran Takasan also said: “Seguro uban pa ta karon kay layo pa, pero basig pag-abot sa panahon di na”.

He said that the prospect could not be impossible saying that people in fact always change daily. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com