So many Benguet people are now confused with their own ilk. The reason is, it appears that so many of their local leaders are endorsing the caretaker congressman in his run for the Lower House.
We can only surmise the reason, his having brought in a lot of infrastructure projects. That translates to a lot of money that got into the province. Where did that big money go?
Not to us ordinary people? Nothing. Not even crumbs. How about the use of the infrastructures? In the first place, undertaking such is the duty of the government and officials.
And we still wonder if such talk of so many infrastructures are really being done or finished. Or are they just for show, or for election propaganda only? There is a “shotcreting” project of a small mountain side along Marcos Highway in Tuba, Benguet and it had been going on forever, at a snail’s pace. Hundreds, if not thousands, of vehicles pass through that road everyday and the politicians appear not to even care that its implementation is a joke in full public display.
They must be taking the voting public as just a lot of jokers.
So who is taking on the new kid in town? Some Benguet people with balls. Or, was one of them got paid just to maintain a nominal presence in the congressional race in the province? If that were true, it will be for the benefit of another candidate.
As to the other congressional candidate, the incumbent mayor of Itogon, Benguet, Atty. Palangdan, he will surely give a serious run for any candidate’s money. For one, being a lawyer, he must be the most qualified among those in the running to represent the province in Congress. People who should be voted for that body should be those who can legislate, not those who will just become decors.
The only reason the people in the province should vote for an outsider is when the homegrown ones are in default in bringing home the bacon. This cannot be said of Benguet. During the time of Congressman Ronald Cosalan, a lot of infrastructure projects came in which might even put to shame the ongoing ones.
So the question that should be lingering in everydody’s mind is, why should we vote for an outsider when there are more competent ones among our own people?
There is of course the unsolicited advice often heard on the hustings every election time: “Take the money, but vote according to your conscience.”**