By Anthony A. Araos
Former Vice President Joseph Biden, the Democratic Party candidate, is the 46th President of the United States. He convincingly defeated incumbent President Donald Trump of the Republican Party. About 74 million U.S. voters simply want Trump out of the White House, out of their lives. That’s how right-thinking Americans feel about Trump.
In a previous commentary, I pointed out the need for Americans to finally wake up and get rid of Trump through the ballot. An online survey last Oct. 27 of my 20 Fil-American voter- friends in the U.S. showed the following results: 17 for Biden and 3 for Trump.
From the reel world of the famed TV “Apprentice” show, where Trump miserably failed as an entertainment figure to the real-world of discharging the functions and duties as President of the U.S., Trump miserably failed.
President-elect Joe Biden truly offers a fresh take on American governance, a renewed push for democracy. His victory recognizes the value of sanity and at the same time it restores decency to the White House.
A friend of mine here who works at the office of a board member told me a week before the Nov. 3 U.S. polls that Trump already “won” the elections. Like Trump, he suddenly can’t be seen around. Now you see him, now you don’t. Fortunately, Americans and the rest of humanity are no longer going to see Donald Trump, the most “stupid” American president. Damn right, outgoing President Trump adamantly refused to wear a face mask and got sick with COVID-19 himself. If that does not prove that Trump is stupid, nothing will. Americans just told Trump to move on, it’s Game Over for “Apprentice: Part II.”
-oOo-
Ifugao Board Member Perfecta Dulnuan has the necessary ability to immensely advance the cause of women empowerment in politics in the province. The 4L (Local Ladies Legislators League) Assembly is presently being staged in the municipal level except in Hingyon. There’s something curiously weird about this.
The province’s legislative councils are largely dominated by male officials. For instance, the capital town of Lagawe is an all-male Sanggunian Bayan. Of the 20 villages, there are only two female Punong Barangays. The powerful and influential Sanggunian Panlalawigan has 10 board members- eight of Dulnuan’s colleagues are men. This means that only 20% of Ifugao’s provincial board are women.
By October of 2021, candidates for local and national positions should file their certificates of candidacy (CoCs). I think that Mrs. Dulnuan should do her best to prepare and assist 4L members who are aspiring to run in the 2022 polls.
At the 4L town assembly discussions of the huge gender power gap in Ifugao, the guest speaker discussed how to solve the problem of the under representation of women in Ifugao politics. The shallowness of the discussions led me to wonder if we really want to address the problem. The 4L Assembly must start tapping the potentials of women leaders. The 4L organizers should come up with more effective ways to encourage able leaders among the Ifugao women to get into politics.
Board Member Dulnuan is duty-bound to encourage women to take up the torch in the male-dominated political arena. It is time to push for a quota to increase the number of women in politics. It is high time to end the prevalence of traditional chauvinist attitudes in politics.
I call on the 4L to identify and prepare educated and competent 4L members (and other women) for the 2022 elections. Let’s ensure that women attain more representation in law-making bodies. **
