Inducing a Lawmaker to Defect

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

Upon seeing three city councilors of Dagupan City sworn into office at the Stadia in Lucao today, I told a lawmaker that of the 12 members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (city legislature) the administration of newly elected Mayor Belen T. Fernandez should control the voting of the Dads there to pursue the “Hizzoner” programs in her three years’ term.

POWER PLAY. Senator Cynthia Villar (5th from left) and exiting Dagupan City Mayor Brian Lim (3rd from left) pose for posterity after the oath taking with Villar of the seven newly elected Councilors of the Bangus City. Out of the ten newly elected Dads, incoming Mayor Belen Fernandez got only three that shows that the civilian Lim has the control of the Legislation. (Photo Credit: Public Information Office)

Presently, seven of the ten lawmakers who won the recent election came from the party of outgoing Mayor Brian Lim.

“You got three regular Councilors plus the ex-officio members of the Presidents of the Liga ng mga Barangays and the Samahang Kabataan Federation, that’s five. Lim got seven Dads and you need to buy through sums or give the vulnerable Dad supervision of some projects (where the Councilor can get his S.O.P or share from the contractor) to make him susceptible and makes the political equation six-six,” I opined, of course, in the vernacular.

 It means Mayor Fernandez’s allied Dads become six versus the six Councilors of Lim that transforms Vice Mayor Dean Brian L. Kua - the Veem and cousin of Fernandez – to become a tie breaker in favor of the new Mayor’ programs that need legislative approval.

Photo Credit: Green Team

“That’s my solution to the political conundrum there that I’ve been writing – including how to sway some of the majority Board Members of exiting Pangasinan Governor Espino in favor of Governor Guico (READ: Power PlayBetween Guico and Espino Continues), - after the Comelec declared who won the election in the evening of May 9,” I cited.

The Councilor – one of the few intelligent Dads in the August Body of the Bangus City – told me he is looking too for that “vulnerable” Councilor in Lim’s Party to go on leave every time there is a votation of a resolution or ordinance needed by the Fernandez Administration.

But I differed to him.

“Pangit naman iyong kada botohan mag li-leave of absence iyong isa o iyong dalawang councilors na sinasabi ninyo”.

I advised him to instigate that Dad to defect to their party instead of taking leave of absence every time there is a division of the house.

“Oo nga, ano?!” he quipped.

He said the Councilor I was zeroing used to be their party mate.

READ MY OTHER BLOG:

The Lethal, Costly Weapons of a Cobra

MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

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I am a twenty years seasoned Op-Ed Political Writer in various newspapers and Blogger exposing government corruptions, public officials's idiocy and hypocrisies, and analyzing local and international issues. I have a master’s degree in Public Administration and professional government eligibility. I taught for a decade Political Science and Economics in universities in Metro Manila and cities of Urdaneta, Pangasinan and Dagupan. Follow me on Twitter @totoMortz or email me at totomortz@yahoo.com.