"Nazareth remains Rodriguez Country" Daghang Salamat Gold Star Daily sa pag-feature sa among pinalanggang Nazareth! Ang panumbok gi-publish adtong ika-16 sa Mayo, 2018.
Sulat ni: NITZ ARANCON
http://mindanaogoldstardaily.com/nazareth-remains-rodriguez-country/
NAZARETH has remained to be a Rodriguez country even as a scion of the prominent political family emerged as the vote-rich barangay’s new leader.
Rep. Maximo Rodriguez Jr.’s son and namesake Maximo III will succeed his aunt Jocelyn as Nazareth’s barangay chairman. Nazareth was reputedly the most tension-gripped barangay here during Monday’s elections.
Maximo III clobbered Councilor Ian Mark Nacaya’s wife Reina in Monday’s elections, garnering 3,129 votes as against the latter’s 1,674 votes or by a margin of 1,455 votes.
The rivalry between the younger Rodriguez and Ms. Nacaya, a daughter of the late market vendors’ leader and councilor Reynaldo Advincula, was seen as a proxy war between estranged political allies ex-congressman Rufus Rodriguez and Mayor Oscar Moreno over a vote-rich political bailiwick in the 2nd District.
A successful campaign by Ms. Nacaya would also have scored political points for her husband Ian Mark, a former supporter of ex-mayor Vicente Emano who moved to the ruling group of Moreno in 2016. The councilor, himself a former Nazareth barangay chairman, challenged the 2013 congressional reelection bid of Rufus, the eldest and the perceived leader of the Rodriguez family. Councilor Nacaya, then the 2nd District congressional candidate of the Emano-led Padayon Pilipino, was beaten black and blue in that year’s elections.
The Emano political family, meanwhile, showed that it was still a force to reckon with after its supposed candidate in Lapasan, another vote-rich 2nd District barangay, unseated village chief Omar Labuntog.
Labuntog, seen as a common candidate of the Rodriguezes and Moreno, was defeated by Julieto Ogsimer. Labuntog claimed Ogsimer was favored by the Emano-led Padayon Pilipino.
It was a close fight in Lapasan with Ogsimer winning with 4,742 against Labuntog who garnered 4,140 votes. There was a dark horse, “independent” candidate Rudy Mediana, who bagged 2,851 votes. Mediana is said to be a former bodyguard of ex-mayor Vicente Emano when the latter was governor before becoming a contractor.
The still incomplete list of winners in the race for barangay chairpersons here also showed a number of those identified with the Emanos winning seats in city’s two districts, mostly in the 1st District, while a few of those associated with the Rodriguezes won in the 2nd District. It is unclear yet exactly how many of the winning bets are associated with the groups of Moreno, the Emanos and the Rodriguezes.
