My long history of infatuation with the Balmes Mother and Daughter – Why I trust Kristine Balmes

Looking at the FB  family picture of the Balmes clan today after the mass dedicating Mayor Kristine Balmes’  filing  of her Certificate of Candidacy for Mayor of Batangas City suddenly made flashbacks of my long history of infatuation with the Balmes mother and daughter (oh don’t get me wrong, nothing romantic, but read on, it’s  my side of  the story).

Kristine and I have been facebook friends since Nov 2010, but I am sure she hardly knew me. Her mother, Madam Yolie does.

In 1987 I was a student leader in Lyceum of Batangas, famously or infamously known as the irrepressible and incorrigible Nomer Macalalad. I led the first, biggest and longest running student mass actions back then. Dr. Yolinda Gonda-Balmes was Executive Vice President and Peter Laurel was Asst. Vice President (but was calling the shots as the Laurel family owns the university). Madam Yolie held office at the ground floor of the main building and Peter Laurel at the Penthouse (3^rd, just below the residence).

The  Fashionable  Mdme   Yolie  Balmes

 I was fierce and irreverent, and surely gave Madam Yolie some sleepless nights as she would come to office very early in the morning (to avoid being blocked by student barricades?) I remember meeting her with darkening eye bags, and obviously stressful days (haha).  But she was always as beautiful, a fashionista in her own right.

When the Laurels dropped my scholarship in retaliation, and Registrar Fe Medina would not allow me to re-enroll nor release my transcript,  I remember storming Peter Laurel’s office and telling him strongly to “release my record and I will be out of your school.” True enough, a few storeys and minutes below, I went straight to the Registrar’s office  and my transcript was ready,  no request or clearance required   (they were avoiding an altercation with me and Peter must have called them to simply acquiesce to this incorrigible rebel’s demand).

Later on, I became a local journalist, and one of my favorite interviewees was madam Yolie’s father, the late Bokal Ding Gonda. I sympathized with his lonely opposition stance against the Mayo administration which at times seemed to have dismissed him as just one grumpy old man in the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (back then the Governor presided over SP sessions).  But before anyone misunderstands my reference to ex-Governor Enteng Mayo, I would like to say that he was a very nice person. It was in his presence when I was offered to start a career as a radio commentator by my  mentor (lucky me to have used to have coffee with Governors.  I also did as a youth leader with ex-Gov. Joey Laurel in his last days in office so I was already familiar with the Mansion as early as 1987).

I think it was in 1998 when Kristine Balmes ran for the first time as Councilor. And Madam  Yolie  came  to my  former  house  in  Tingga Labac and gave  me  a  wall  clock.  Of   course, I voted for  Kristine  not because of  that wall  clock  but because of her mom (still  infatuated  with her   after all those Lyceum   days!) The rest is history and I have written about Kristine  being swooned to her  feet  by Dondon  Dimacuha, etc. The break-up, Kristine’s transformation   after her election  in  2013  (although I  am very   sure that her  activism   is  basically brought about  by her NGO  work  prior   to that) are  all part of  my writings about her in 2013.

Now Kristine is up to the task. She is my choice for  Mayor because  I trust her. Yes she is quite  young  (a  little bit  younger than   me),  arguably naïve  in dirty  politics  and  a   dreamer. But isn’t that what we need?   One friend  asked me, why support    her   when  she  is the mother of  a Dimacuha  child  who  will later revive the dynasty   (wow, that’s   too  futuristic), but I said she  is our only chance  at the moment. And  honestly,  she  doesn’t  have the pedigree of  a dynast,  but  of  a  decent leader like   her late Lolo  Ding.

My support is voluntary. And  believe it or  not, we argue a lot  on facebook  messenger, as she  would naturally  disagree  at times   on  what I write or post  (not just about her, but about anything else). But I trust her to be our only hope  to  end the  tyrannical  dynasty.  I trust her to be the only person who can bring back the pride and glory of Batangas City because she has a vision, a complete contrast to what the Dimacuha dynasty has systematically put in place in the last 28  years.   Bacause Kristine’s conviction is for good and democratic governance. In short, SHE IS THE (WO)MAN OF THE TIME.

But I also assure you, the irreverent, irrepressible and incorrigible me will always be here to watch her govern. Privately (I hope she doesn’t cut our communication line when she gets elected), or publicly, I will still tell her what I think on matters  of public concern.