NEWS: Ex-Gov. Joecab girds to run vs. Cong. Amatong

In Comval

nov 27

ATTY. JUN LOPOZ , Liberal Party District 1 Chairman- Compostela Valley

Ex-Governor Jose “Joecab” Cab allero is veering towards running for the 2nd district congressional post against first-termer Congressman Rommel “Bobong” Amatong even as yesterday the former Compostela Valley governor still insisted he has still an “either for governor or for congressman” option.

Pundits have speculated that when Caballero recently took his oath as the 2nd district chairman of the Liberal Party in the province and has been reportedly forming a lineup of candidates for boardmembers is signalling he would be taking the congressional run option.

Meanwhile, Atty. Jaime “Jun” Lopoz Jr, who is running for congressman, also took oath the other day in LP Manila headquarters as the first district chairman of LP in the province debunking reports that controversail ex-police officer Cesar Mancao, also a congressional candidate, got the district’s LP chairmanship.

Boardmember Maricar Apsay, daughter of last-termer Cong. Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora, is also running for congress.

Last Sunday Mancao along with actor Cesar Montano made a motorcade of at least 50 vehicles across five towns in the first district except the highland Maragusan. The motorcade bannered yellow color as Mancao and his supporters wore yellow shirts with LP logo and letters and face of presidential candidate Senator Noynoy Aquino.

Reports said that Mancao’s membership application to LPwas junked by the party’s national directorate as he was accordingly “close to the Arroyos”.

Caballero’s final filing of candidacy for congressman would leave reelectionist Governor Arturo “Chiongkee” Uy unopposed in the forthcoming 2010 election given the absence of good gubernatorial material except Caballero.

Uy has remained to stick with Lakas-Kampi-CMD after Sunday’s affirmative vote of partymates for Lakas and its standard-bearer Gilbert Teodoro during an intense four-hour close-door political caucus marred by a walk-out of Cong Amatong who rooted for Teodoro than Senator Manny Villar, whom sources said was first preferred by Uy. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News)

Filed under: atty. jaime "jun" lopoz jr, congressman rommel amatong, jose caballero joecab, atty. jun lopoz, CESAR MANCAO, congressman rommel amatong, jose joecab caballero

NEWS: Flowers, tributes pour in for Prospero Amatong, 77

may 18

Flowers pour in while tributes keep on coming for former Congressman Prospero Amatong, who succumbed in a hospital in New York City Saturday morning. He was 77 years old.

Reports said he fell on a pavement hitting his head while strolling with family members and friends in a park at New York City.

He was on vacation at the United States with his wife Luz and family members.

His son Congressman Rommel Amatong, who did not join in their US trip, said his father’s body would be brought home by next week.

For Compostela Valley Governor Arturo Uy, “he is exceptional as a leader, a master politician. I would say no one could ever duplicate his performance in our lifetime. He is the real “Mr. Service”.

“I am saddened by the death of a great man whose life was dedicated to mankind. It’s a loss to all of us. My prayers to the bereaved family. Farewell my brother,” said Davao del Norte Vice Governor Victorio Suaybaguio Jr., who was one of the close friends of Amatong when he was still the governor of the erstwhile undivided Davao del Norte.

On the otherhand, Laak Mayor Reynaldo Navarro has his succinct words for the man: “In politics he was a legend, a real champion who has never tasted defeat. He was proud of his achievements yet he remained humble and accessible to friends and foes alike. To us his political students, he was a genuine, larger-than-life guru. We will forever miss him.”

Boardmember Maricar Zamora-Apsay said: “We have lost a great leader who in his lifetime had taught us the markmanship of a true and successful politician. His legacy as a forefather of our province and his extraordinary public service will forever be encrypted in the annals of our local history. To me, he is not only to be remembered as a successful politician- he was himself an embodiment of the art of politics.”

For Nabunturan Councilor Raul Caballero: “A great loss of a great leader and statesman whose values and virtues in public service are worthy for emulation, foremost as guides for all politicians in town.”

In his over 45 years in public office, Nabunturan’s greatest father was unblemished as not a single Ombudsman complaint not even an anonymous one had been filed against him.

He was unscathed after serving as Nabunturan councilor (3 years), Nabunturan mayor (14 years, 2 years in New Corella), undivided Davao del Norte governor (9 years), District 2 Comval congressman (9 years), 2 years as project manager of the Philippine National Oil Corp. and 6 years as project engineer of the then Bureau of Public Works, his first stint in government.

He had two episodes when his mandate was cut short: the first on September 28, 1977 when he was purged by dictator Marcos for being with the opposition and replaced by Vice Mayor Zosimo Bugas who served for 4 years, and on March 31, 1986, after reclaiming his mayoral seat in 1980 polls, when he was appointed by President Cory Aquino as the OIC governor of the Davao del Norte.

Even on his political retirement starting in 2007, he was still considered an influential  political kingpin- kingmaker in town and even in the whole province.

When he did not run in the 2007 election and made true his earlier declaration of retiring from politics, it was hailed as a tough class act of seasoned and experienced politician.

But from it, he bequeathed his political power to his successor son now Congressman Rommel “Bobong” Amatong. At a time when he retired began the baptism of fire in politics of his political heir. All out of the service-rich patriarch, the neophyte scion becomes a shoo in, yet it showed to the world that there were no two or more Amatongs holding the reins of power at the same time. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News)

Filed under: Congressman Prospero Amatong, congressman rommel amatong, Congressman Prospero Amatong, congressman rommel amatong

NEWS: VG says: “It was definitely not an easy decision on my part”

Ramil issues statement on his backing out from Cong’s bid

april 29

Compostela Valley Vice Governor Ramil Gentugaya issued his formal media statement Monday evening stating the grounds why he opted to seek reelection and to no longer run for the congressional post in District 1 that is also being eyed by Boardmember Maricar Zamora-Apsay, daughter of last-termer Congressman Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora.
In text messages sent to this reporter, Gentugaya’s statement read as follows: “There were talks that I had plans to pursue a congressional post in the 2010 elections. All these were true. This scenario would have been divisive to our party since Board Member Maricar Apsay, daughter of Congressman Way Kurat expressed the same intention, as well.”
“However, recently I had a very long talk with Governor Chiongkee and he personally requested and convinced me to continue to work with him in the province, which would require me to run for the same post as vice governor in 2010.  At the same time, I got an urgent call from Congressman Way Kurat himself earnestly appealing to me to give way to his daughter’s bid.”
“After giving it much thought and after countless consultations with my family and relatives I have finally arrived at a vital decision not to pursue my bid to run for Congress in 2010. It was definitely not an easy decision on my part. But I am willing to rise above my personal ambition and interest to preserve the unity of our party. More importantly, I do not want to disrupt the unity of the province that took quite a long time to achieve. We can prosper only to the extent that we dedicate ourselves for the common good.”
“It must be remembered that at the start of my second term last 2007, I together with Honorable Prospero Amatong, Governor Uy, Congressman Rommel Amatong, Congressman Way Kurat took a conscientious effort to unite the officials of the province.”
Earlier, Apsay pledged she would also be issuing her own statement after the vice governor would have his saying she did not want to preempt him. (Cha Monforte/ Rural Urban News)

Filed under: boardmember maricar zamora-apsay, Compostela Valley Vice Governor Ramil Gentugaya, congressman rommel amatong, Congressman Way Kurat, Governor Uy, Honorable Prospero Amatong, boardmember maricar zamora-apsay, Compostela Valley Vice Governor Ramil Gentugaya, congressman rommel amatong, Congressman Way Kurat, Governor Uy, Honorable Prospero Amatong

OPINION: The agreement

BLOGISTA
By Cha Monforte

Now it can be told that Compostela Valley Vice Gov. Ramil Gentugaya had earlier pledged not to run for Congress. I finally chanced upon Cong. Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora at his base in Compostela town the other day and I got what I’ve long wished from him – to interview him tete-a-tete. To me, it was one of the rarest so I threw questions or lose him again.

There I got news right from the horses’ mouth, and what struck me was his information that VG Ramil, Gov. Chiongkee Uy, Boardmember Maricar and Cong. Way Kurat had already forged a prior agreement to avoid wrangling in the future and this is for VG Ramil to seek for his reelection as vice gov and for BM Maricar to run for the congressional post that his father is finishing to serve until 2010.

“That was the day after we took our oath of office,” Cong. Way Kurat recalled. And “I’ll stick to that (agreement),” he added.

I surfed the net when was really that, and lo, the joint oathtaking of newly elected Comval officials was June 30, 2007 (the twilight sky on that festive day was so colorful compliments of the fireworks display heralding the new administration themed in by Uswag Comval slogan). And so, the Ramil-Maricar-Chiongkee-Way Kurat agreement must be July 1, 2007. (Sorry, in my rush of writing a so good news the other day at an internet café in the interior Compostela town I missed to include the date, especially that a paying time is running against me).

When I reached his base at Compostela, Comval’s most popular politician Way Kurat, for ostensibly putting the province in the country’s map by his down-to-earth, newsworthy scenes and brims, was there in shorts and shirts calling up the Singapore embassy chancellor in Manila to help a distressed Comvalenya from Barangay Ngan, Compostela who was earlier imprisoned there but who could no longer be contacted by her relatives. The Singaporean official Cong. Way Kurat called as “my friend” pledged to help.

Things are revealing now particularly when reports were heard for sometime  that the governor had confided to several Lakas partymates and allies about his difficulties in walking in a tightrope just to keep the Comval unity surging given that he had already a prior commitment to BM Maricar. Ostensibly, this must be the continuation of the Cong. Way Kurat’s revelation that the governor has already “said his piece” and “Maricar is his choice”.

Cong. Way Kurat must have been optimistic still that the fortified Lakas-CMD would remain united with a powerhouse unity slate and that for the present running tiff between VG Ramil and BM Maricar over his post to end.  “The solution was already made,” he said referring to that July 1, 2007 agreement. He quipped that after I offered a scenario of BM Maricar running for the vice governor’s post and him for Compostela mayoral post, to keep the peace. It’s no-no, but for a win-win, VG Ramil must stick to the agreement.

But verily, Cong. Way Kurat is quite confident that VG Ramil will honor the agreement. “He is a good gentleman who has a word of honor… as well as the governor.” He knew VG Ramil too much, “from a good boy to a good man ….to a good politician and good leader in the province.”

With modesty, the congressman said that he molded VG Ramil in his political career starting when he was still the SK federation honcho after BM Maricar’s SK stint in the erstwhile undivided Davao del Norte. No wonder that the VG in his 2004 inaugural speech at Nabunturan Compre gym singled out and paid tribute to Way K with words as “my idol, my mentor”. That was the time when Gob. CK was first elected as a BM allied with ex-Gob. Joecab who defeated a token gubernatorial bet Trino Tirol.

From that interview, I also learned that the congressman and Monkayo Mayor Manuel “Junjun” Brillantes have no running feud between them and that they are seeing eye to eye and with a twosome of them leveling off . And that’s a far cry compared to the vice governor talking to the mayor only with a group, he said. But maybe the congressman is referring to the Friday Club at Marco. BM Maricar, too, is accordingly in constant communication with the mayor’s brother Lito and sister Olaycon Kapitana, Diel. I stand too apprised and updated now, thanks, but for a couple of weeks or so, I’ll wait for VG’s statement after the honeymoon with his beauteous, intelligent, Unilab executive better half- Joanna Ang-Gentugaya.

BLOGBUZZ: We still have to hear news after the scheduled meeting of the provincial directorate of Lakas-CMD in  Comval. Its chair is the governor, being the provncial Lakas chairman, with the other officers: vice chair- District 2 Cong. Rommel “Bobong” Amatong, secretary- BM Maricar, treasurer- VG Ramil, and the chairmen of the 5 committees held by Cong. Way K, Compostela Mayor Rey Castillo, New Bataan Mayor Lorenzo “Boy” Balbin, Nabunturan Mayor Macario “Dodong” Humol,    and Laak Mayor Rey “Reynab” Navarro, and provincial elder Pros Amatong as a member emeritus with also 1 vote like the rest…. Heard from the rounds after the NBI raid on the suspected culprit establishment where the UM Tagum sex scandal was camcorded. A lass just informed me, “Kuya di man to sex toy penis sa sex scandal nga na-mention nimo sa imong series of news ato, but a plastic container of Her Bench lotion.” I thought that Bench is only known of selling branded shirts and polos. For that, Bench company should better review the forms of its product containers at the risk of selling unwanted objects that someone may hold dear. (For online edition, visit my blog at: http://cha4t.wordpress.com, email: ruralurbanews@yahoo.com, or chamonforte@yahoo.com)

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