AFTER months of suspicions and jealousy, of unhappy partnerships, of questions and denials, it now appears that the political marriage of former Congressman Monico Puentevella (MOP) and the Force of Five (FOF), councilors Archie Baribar, El Cid Familiaran, Elmer Sy, Sonia Verdeflor and Catalino Alisbo, is heading towards political divorce.
I heard from the FOF and their supporters that they have only two reasons for doubting the leadership capacity and the fidelity of MOP to their political marriage: one, MOP listens more to his family and kin than to his ever loyal partners, the FOF, especially. This put a doubt to whether he is really sincere in building a team that will help him realize his vision and mission (if he has any at all), or if he is simply using the FOF for his political expediency. The FOF doubt on MOP has been aggravated by the undeclared yet so publicly exposed extra political relationship of MOP with businessman Vladimir Gonzales (VG) who lost miserably in the 2010 elections. There has been no admission on the part of MOP and his bright boys about the MOP-VG political tandem for 2013, although it is clear that the tandem is consciously and systematically being drawn and campaigned by their allied barangay captains and spin doctors and operators in the barangays since the first quarter of this year. The FOF are not blind and nor are they fools to the political under workings of MOP and his bright boys. It is clear to them that MOP has turned from a hero to a villain, a leader to a traitor, a team captain to a ship wrecker. MOP has all the right to choose his vice mayor. Fine. The FOF will not argue with that. What they hated is MOP's lack of professionalism, transparency and team work in dealing with such an important issue. He rammed his old time philosophy of expediency and politics of money to the FOF who have been known for their firm adherence to the principles of equality, justice, democracy and freedom. If they couldn't trust MOP while he is still desperately struggling to become a mayor and therefore needs more lieutenants and captains in his ranks, how can they trust him when he becomes a mayor with the same unchanged mentality, and pay all his political debts to people who have given him money and accommodated him for political expediency? I really pity MOP for missing one decision that could have transcended his being a political animal to a great leader and statesman. I question his bright boys and the political termites in his ranks for providing him wrong data, analysis and solutions to his political ambition. Worse, for constantly drawing to him situations and scenarios that only exist in the minds and pockets of his operators and bright boys. The whole thing simply is this: he gambled his vision and mission for the politics of expediency and money. He exchanged his most valuable partners, the principled FOFs with vast machinery and winning votes, for a rich businessman who many believed has only been seduced to politics because of money, not his vision and mission. Poor MOP, he misses another opportunity for a shot at greatness for the simple reason that he does not understand so well what political marriage is. In marriage, the rule is always this: independence is mutual, dependence is equal, and obligation is reciprocal. In political marriage, it is the same. Just add: personal interest is permanent. Again, I still wish MOP to discern his journey, and seek for God's grace. With God, nothing is impossible. By Karl G. Ombion Published in the Sun.Star Bacolod
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