Former Finance Minister Gary Teves has declared he is running for Governor. 2nd District Cong. George Arnaiz of the Nationalist People’s Coalition is supporting his candidacy. It is expected that 3rd District Cong. Henry Pryde Teves will be aligned with his uncle Gary.
On the other hand, Incumbent Gov. Roel Degamo has declared his resolve to run for Governor.
Also, former Bais Mayor Hector “Tata” Villanueva confirmed in an interview that 1st District Cong. Josy Limkaichong is being prodded by the Liberal Party to run for Governor.
Former Gov. Jose “Petit” Baldado may also run for public office, but is playing coy about the position.
So the die is cast. But people are asking: “Isn’t it too early to talk about elections 2013?”
What are their chances of winning? With the 3rd and 2nd Districts under his belt, it is predicted that Gary Teves has the edge over all the other contenders.
But being a Province with wise and intelligent voters, the road ahead may turbulent and testy. There is the consideration that as of this date, five mayors in the 3rd District who are aligned with Congresswoman Limkaichong.
The 2nd District is also not a sure thing because this is where most the discerning voters live.
So the 1st District has to deliver a solid vote for Congresswoman Limkaichong to ensure victory Province-wide. Can this scenario happen? Yes, it is not impossible.
But if she leaves her position as congressman, there may be other people who may enter the fray in the 1st District, and will challenge her agenda.
There have been loud whispers that former Cong. Jacinto “Jing” Paras may seek a return bout, and may be serious about making a comeback.
Governor Degamo may just have to double-time in his programs and projects and in the consolidation of his contacts in the local government units to have a solid footing for 2013.
There are a lot of loose discussions about the chances of each of the protagonists, but one thing for sure, all those who have since declared their interests to run for public office in 2013 are now in the campaign mode.
Many are saying, if you do not have a very, very deep pocket, millions in budget, forget it, because election is about who has the most money. If such is the case, our government may be run by those who have the most money, and that is plutocracy.
But as the hip song goes: “It’s not about the money, money, money. We don’t need your money, money, money…Forget about the price tag. Ain’t about the cha-ching, cha-ching. Aint about the ba-bling, ba-bling…”
Now everyone can start getting to know who is the best man or woman for the job.
