LAST MONDAY the candidates under the Grupo Progreso of Cong. Evelio Leonardia signed a covenant on their program of government in case they are elected into office on May 9. This event is unusual at least for this election. Political promises are made by one person or group of persons to others; a covenant is among people for themselves or for others. The covenant is an agreement among the covenanters collectively binding them on what they intend to do for a common goal. The opposing camp against Grupo Progreso has not come out with such an agreement, only promises mainly personal and thus can only be binding on their personal honor and can in fact be conveniently forgotten. Grupo Progreso formalized their covenant and thus is bound to work together for Bacolod. This is important in the light of our recent experience where the congressman and the mayor worked in disparate ways and even with hostility. The same happened with the Sanggunian Panlungsod where the majority of the councilors obstructed the acting executive because they are from a different political party or are dictated by the suspended mayor. During his speech launching the candidacies of Grupo Progreso, congressional candidate Greg Gasataya made a solemn promise that he will never quarrel with Cong. Evelio Leonardia who is running for mayor. This pledge is now enshrined in the covenant that binds him and the rest with him for one common objective – the welfare of the city. This covenant is also important considering what happened in 2013. One councilor in the camp of Cong. Leonardia jumped into the camp of Puentevella after he was elected under and through the effort of Grupo Progreso. All his explanations are so stilted I find it incomprehensible that such justification can be thought of at all. In a way Grupo Progreso can also be blamed for trusting him considering where he was before. This is the same case with the barangay chairman of Tangub who made it shamefully appear that he was with Grupo Progreso and in fact was assisted by this party. The moment he was elected he just went over to the camp of Puentevella and got to be called “honorable”. His defection as well as that of the councilor cited above shifted the balance in the SP and threw this city into a state of effeteness. This covenant was freely entered into and thus the people of Bacolod will have a basis for measuring up the signatories to this contract that contains a program of government for the next three years. This means that the signatories must insure control of the three areas of their candidacy: Congress for Greg Gasataya, Mayor’s office for Bing Leonardia, Vice Mayorship for El Cid Familiaran and a solid majority in the council. Without this sufficient control of the branches of the city government, this covenant will be impossible to implement in full or even partially with satisfaction. It can be compartmentalized but this can be counterproductive. In that sense the people of Bacolod cannot demand accountability. To this extent the covenant is just as binding to the people of Bacolod as it is for the covenanters. This agreement was entered into in behalf of the people of Bacolod or for their welfare and therefore they too must insure that Grupo Progreso has sufficient authority to implement its provisions. Otherwise this covenant will be for naught. Excerpts of the covenant have been published and surely they will be repeated during rallies and sorties. Since each candidate has made a personal commitment, we are able to gauze which of them would be worth our votes and when they are elected we have a basis for assessing them. After the elections we can determine whether they complied with their self-imposed obligation or have, like most politicians with glib and forked tongues, forgotten what they promised. Collectively, however, they cover a lot of areas of governance which Congressman Leonardia has pledged to do. If Leonardia, Gasataya and Familiaran work in tandem they can do much. If Cong. Leonardia can bring in billions worth of projects in the face of a hostile and obstructing local officials we see more reason to hope that with a majority support much more can be done. But this will require a collective action by the Bacolod voters. This covenant will go limp if the conditions for their satisfactory implementation do not exist. This is a mutually beneficial covenant. By: Modesto P. Sa-onoy
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