Giant Nani Perez vs Pawit-wit? - most interesting congressional race in Batangas City

The congressional race in the 5^th District (Batangas City) is very interesting, in a sense that a former political giant is running against neophytes and political nobodies.

Apologies as this will just be my initial observation because in fairness to other candidates, like Danilo Berberabe (DanBer), younger brother of the late Bokal Jun  Berberabe who I still have to research on; and my  declared   bias against the Dimacuha dynasty or any dynasty for that matter that I  do not wish to say more  against its son-in-law   Marvey Marino, at least   not yet; and respect for an old friendship with Philip Baroja who  is  unfortunately a  creation of the Dimacuha  dynasty  and apparently  a pawn  of a new  power play within the crumbling dynastic family;   my conversation in this blog would be   limited to drawing  a  parallelism  between  the  giant Nani  Perez  and the political  self-declared “pawit-wit”  or small  fry,  Carlito Bisa.  Sila din  laang naman   yata ang naglalaban  eh?

Pero kwidaw -   may  sakit   akong hindi mapigilang mag-ingay hehehe.

HERNANDO “NANI” PEREZ

Sir Nani (he was my law professor) has been good to me, in a sense that he mediated between me and Eduardo Dimacuha sometime in 1993 when I was still a cable TV journalist. I have always thought that he prevented EBD, his kumpare from harming me. My branch manager Ed and I were summoned by Jun Magsaysay, later Senator, who owns Batangas CATV (he actually pioneered the industry in the  country) in his Makati  headquarters, and told us to see Majority Floor  Leader Hernando Perez  at the House of Representatives.  We arrived there a little bit in the  evening and  were ushered to  a very big   office,  and listened  to  floor deliberations through piped-in monitor  (my  first time to  enter the Batasan). I think it was past 8pm when Ka Nani came to his office from the session hall and attended to us.

He  knew me because  it was not the first time  we were  seeing  each  other (a few weeks or months  earlier, his staff knocked in my apartment in Brgy. Cuta very early in the morning to  say,   the   Congressman  wanted  me  to interview  “someone  important”  for   my cable TV shows.   So early yet I obliged to come to the studio in   Brgy. Alangilan, Batangas City.

And wow, you know who was with him?  It was the beautiful, petite, daughter of a former President and DTI Undersecretary in-charge of the Fiber Industry Development Authority (FIDA) -  yes, Gloria  Macapagal-Arroyo. They rode on Ka Nani’s Pajero,  followed by another  car of security  personnel. And so I asked him, “ang aga nyo  po, saan kayo  galing?”  And he said, “sa Mabini” with  a smile  (need  I ask  for  more?)

I was quite rattled in the presence of his “guest”, but regained my composure, started setting up the interview, and grasping for words, I said, “you know what mam, I am an admirer of your dad, former President Macapagal?” Little did I realize that I was too young to know her dad being a martial law and Marcosian era baby!  Well, anyway, one has got to do what one has got to do. So I did the interview and either Mrs. Arroyo was too brilliant and I was too ignorant,   but I was not impressed with her answers to my questions. Anyway rest is history, she placed 13^th in the 1992 senatorial race for her   first 3 years in the Senate, but ranked first the next senatorial elections for a full 6-year term, became VP and President for 9 years.

Going back to my first meeting at the House, Sir Nani started   the conversation, “Utoy, galit na galit sayo  si Pareng Eddie   eh, kaya ang sabi ko ay kakausapin muna kita.” And a few other details were discussed. But when he suggested  that I go and see  EBD,   my  naiveté surfaced  when I blurted,  “Eh   galit pala ho sa akin paano ko kakausapin?” Well, the nice Ka  Nani  was very  patient to me,  took out a  piece of his stationery and scribbled some notes “Dear Pareng Eddie.” Rest is history again.

So why the introduction?  Because  I do  not want anyone  to think  that I have anything  personal  against Sir Nani.  My political views are based on what I think are pure, simple and plain truths any other person can see.

Ka Nani  has been  up  there, and we all revel in the heights he conquered  -  bokal, opposition  Member of the  Batasang Pambansa, Minister of  Transportation   & Communications, Majority Leader, Deputy Speaker, and Justice Secretary.  No one can match   him in what he has achieved, even now as President of my Alma Mater, University of Batangas   (he was also Law Dean,  Book  Author and Professor still). 

But Sir  Nani has also  been a villain  -  he has  faced, though  conquered a lot  of accusations of graft and corruption;  has had  a fair share of scandals, including  with Jolly Benitez,  erstwhile  right hand man  of  Imelda  Marcos   in  the Human Settlements Ministry;  scandals that sent him  to an  abrupt political furlough  and resigned in disgrace as DOJ Secretary of  GMA  because of  allegations  of extortion and abuse of  power.  In addition, media reports were replete of his bravado, flamboyance and feisty demeanor (typical  Batangueno,  abogado   pa!) But all these he can say, I have conquered them all.

So why the comeback to the limelight at the age of 76? Why not, why Enrile?  Oh yeah, Enrile!

So his “political resurrection” is really a big subject of speculations and suspicions.  Is he out to rehabilitate his stained national image through the best venue he has mastered -   Congress?  His media statement  - “I AM  TOO  OLD TO THINK OF MYSELF”   -   caught  my  attention.  I know I   will never win a discourse against a good lawyer, but what did he mean by that? That he thought much of himself before, but now ready to think of his City  and Country?

He could have been a Senator,   Vice President or even President before,  if…  Unfortunately,  that was  not the case.  So should Batanguenos give him this belated chance again?

CARLITO “LITO” BISA

I got to know the guy better through my slain friend, Mei Magsino. She was an avid fan of him because he stood   his ground against the Dimacuha  Dynasty when there were still very  few of us fighting it at the risk  of our lives.  And he never budged ever since.

He’s got no political position of the past  to speak of, nadaya eh paanong gagawin? Many people even think that he does   not have the pedigree befitting the title “Honorable Congressman” because he is too gutter-level minded, straight talker and too mass-oriented  (maka-masa at maka-misa).  But maybe he might just reject the Honorable title if he wins knowing how much horror  that title  has wrought us throughout history.

But take a second look, this ex-seminarian is no lightweight. He is actually  an acknowledged  unionist ,  sans the negative connotation, because  he is National  President of the Federation of Employees’  Unions of  the  biggest bank  in  the country – BPI.   Kaya masa na, maka-manggagawa pa. Kaya yung  habla ni Atty.  Teddy Deguito sa Bangko Sentral laban sa kanya para pisilin ang BPI na tanggalin sya ay  isang  suntok sa buwan dahil HINDI GANUN  KADALING  KUMILOS ANG ISANG EMPLOYER  LABAN SA PINUNO NG  ISANG  UNYON  (ano sinuswerte eh  di nagkagulo?) I know, because I am an employer panel negotiator with unions.

He   maybe a rank  and file employee of the BPI  branch in Batangas City but he is  a  primus  inter pares (first among equals),  also being President of the BPI Employees Union of the entire Southern Tagalog Region. So that explains the fierce and brave stand on anything. When he joins Congress, expect him to fight tooth and nail for the people.

And like me (allow me your indulgence as I want to compare myself with good people), he is an educator (Faculty member of several schools) and former editor/writer, and we both attended several graduate studies and law school, but didn’t finish. But tell you, finished or not,    what we learned are still there to guide and   make us the kind of fearless advocates that we are.

We are both against political dynasties, but Lito’s proven advantage  - NAGAWA NYANG IHABLA ANG MGA DIMACUHA AT KASABWAT NA TAGA CITY HALL. Sino may ganyang tapang? Maski ako, wala.

And   so we are given a distinct privilege to choose our representative to the halls of  Congress, and for the first time as a lone district. Take your pick – ang dati o ang bago?