BOY DELEVERIO
Mindanao Monitor
The politicians of Zamboanga del Sur and Pagadian City would be deceiving themselves, if they are not sleeping in their watch, if they don’t see the creeping, moving and speeding Jalosjos political machinery now on the threshold of dominating politics in Zamboanga Sibugay, the very youthful daughter of Zamboanga del Sur.
The brothers, sisters and relatives of Congressman Romeo Jalosjos, who has been serving his sentence at the national penitentiary, have already positioned themselves for vital and important elective posts in the province and towns of Zamboanga Sibugay. Governor George Hofer and his children, who are already holding premiere posts in the province, are already preparing for a hard and uphill battle against the Jalosjoses. Out of the sixteen (16) towns composing Zamboanga Sibugay, only three have not yet committed support to the Jalosjos political plans. This is the highly reliable report I received from that end. I can only hope the report is not true and a mere propaganda ploy.
Nevertheless, only such politicians as Governor Auring Cerilles, her husband Congressman Tony Cerilles and their son Mayor Ace William Cerilles, Mayor Sammy Co and Congressman Victor Yu have greater stakes to protect and face the tragedy of being overran by this inevitable development in the arena of political contests.
When the Jalosjos political machinery enters the jurisdiction and territory of Zamboanga del Sur, the sitting public officials named above would be given the dose of their own political medicine – that is MONEY POLITICS, a well-known forte of the Jalosjoses. There is nothing to stop and there is no brake that could slow down the speed of that political machinery from Zamboanga del Norte, except the return to moral politics, the politics of principles and the politics of right empowerment.
How long and since when have we been taught the politics of money? And how long and since when have our electorate been denied the privilege and opportunity of exercising their built-in and God-given right to choose leaders?
What is today the Number One criteria in the fielding of candidates? MONEY? No more character, no more principles, no more qualifications, just plenty of money! And that is where the Jalosjoses are comfortable with and would have the definite edge.
Now, this question can be posed to the Cerilleses, the Ariosas, the Cos, the Reals, the Poloyapoys, the San Juans, the Urros and the Pajareses: “Are you prepared to hoist the WELCOME BANNER to the Jalosjoses in Pagadian City and Zamboanga del Sur, or would you risk being overran by the Jalosjos political machinery?”
If not, then, do something, and do it right now. BUT DON’T JUST DO IT, DO IT JUST!