Neophyte Jeppie. BayanMuna partylist member Jeppie Ramada (third from left) looks ill at ease during a campaign sortie this week. Ramada is running for councilor in the third district under the umbrella of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and his daughter Sara who are running unopposed as mayor and vice mayor for the upcoming polls in May. Duterte had earlier endorsed partylist groups BayanMuna, Gabriela and Anakpawis, saying these groups have consistently fought for the people’s interest.(davaotoday.com photo by Germelina Lacorte)
DAVAO CITY — Some 600 residents of Davao Citys third district who gathered for the Green Vote 2007 Candidates Forum in Calinan Thursday afternoon felt insulted when the candidates who attended the event left them for another sortie barely halfway through the activity.
Barangay Tawan-Tawan Kagawad Danny Gumapac was emotional when he aired his dismay over the turn of events and said that the candidates attitude reflected how they would treat people should they be put into office.
Mura man ta nila ani ug giyaga-yagaan. Mao pa gani pag-abot nila, wala pa gani sila makatubag ug sakto sa atong mga pangutana, naglangas-langas na dayon sila tungod kay muhawa na sila…tungod kay mubalhin sila sa pikas barangay? Gumapac said.
Sa nahitabo, ila tang gibastos. Unta gitagaan pud ta nila ug gamay lamang nga dignidad, Gumapac added.
The Tawan-Tawan delegation would have wanted to ask the council candidates from the third district about what legislation could they come up with regarding the villagers application for a community-based forest management agreement with the Department of Environment and Natural resources for Mt. Tipolog .
Although they have already started the processing, the residents wanted the city council to back their desire to assist in the forest management of Mt. Tipolog through CBFMA.
The residents were also concerned about the long-time problem on flooding in Tawan-Tawan which is being blamed to banana and pineapple plantation companies in the area who failed to put-up a comprehensive drainage system.
Apan unsaon pa man nila pagtubag sa atong mga pangutana nga mura man ta nila ug gi-underestimate? Dakong pangutana nganong gibiyaan ta nilang tanan sa tunga sa atong ginbuhaton? Usa kini pagpamatuod nga kita, isip mga katawhang lungsuranon, wala ginahatagan ug bili sa atong mga opisyal, Gumapac said.
The forum, which started at 2:00 in the afternoon, only had congressional candidate Isidro Ungab. About one hour later, council candidate Tessie Mata arrived, slowly followed by incumbent councilor Conrado Baluran which was also followed by newcomer Jeppie Ramada.
After exhausting his time and chance, Ungab excused himself at the middle for the forum apparently to go to another sortie. And while questions were pouring in, Mata also exited herself.
While the public was still throwing questions to the two remaining candidates, Baluran and Ramada also left the forum. Later the public learned that the two candidates were running to the nearby village of Dacudao where Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod candidates were gathering for a sortie with Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
This angered most of those who were in the forum, coming from 18 barangays in four administrative districts in District three.
Mudagan pa lamang gani sila, dili na sila murespeto kanato. Wala na sila nagpakita ug pagrespeto sa kanatong mga mulupyo sa Davao nga nangusog nga makaadto dinhi aron lamang mahatagan sila ug panahon nga mueksplekar sa ilang katuyuan sa hisgutanang kinaiyahan, a woman was the village of Carmen said.
Ang uban, wala gyud gani nagpakita nato. Ang uban niadto tuod, pero mura man silag nahadlok kanato o nagamayan ba kaha kay nagdali-dali man sila sa pagpahawa, she added.
Organizers of the forum said seven candidates confirmed their attendance to the forum. They were incumbent councilors Victorio Advincula, Conrado Baluran, new candidates Karlo Bello, Myrna Dalodo, Allan Dolor, Jeppie Ramada and Congressional candidate Ungab.
But while some people expressed their dismay over what happened, some also thanked those who arrived and showed their willingness to share their time with us.
Na-appreciate nako ang tanang niadto dinhi ug naghatag ug higayon kanato Bisan pa man sa ilang pagdali-dali, Gumalang Barangay Kagawad Felix Torres said.
Atong pasalamatan na lang upat bahalag wala kita nalipay sa ilang mga tubag ug sa ilang gibuhatpasalamatan nato sila tungod kay niadto sila dinhi ug nagpakita kanatopero ang kadtong mga wala niadto dinhi, ato na silang i-reject. Dili na nato sila botohon, said Perlita Nablo of the village of Tawan-Tawan .
Gerladine Catalan of the group Kolos Neng Bi Libo, a wide aggrupation of various womens groups in the third district, said what happened could very well teach them lesson on what kind of candidates should be chosen during the May elections.
Panahon na gyud para himulbulan nato sa pag-ayo ang atong mga lider. Dili na unta kita basta-basta nga mupili ug mga kandidato tungod lamang sa ilang pagka-gwapo ug sa kagwapo sa ilang mga panaad. Atong pilion kadtong mga kandidato nga ang ginaasdang mao ang interest sa publiko, sa mga tawo. Mupili na kita ug tarong nga mga tawo, she said.
The forum was organized by Ateneo de Davao University, Holy Cross of Calinan College, Deeper Life Academy, Panaghoy sa Kinaiyahan Coalition for Mother Earth and Mamamayan Ayaw sa Aerial Spraying. davaotoday.com
2007 Elections
