Caraga LAKAS-KAMPI merger impossible, says former party leader
By Ben Serrano
Butuan City- A former top local party leader of Lakas CMD who is semi retired in politics today claimed the proposal of President Arroyo and House Speaker now Lakas President, Davao Rep. Prospero Nograles is not only a kiss of death but its “like shooting the moon with a sling shot.”
The former politician turned entrepreneur speaking on condition of anonymity to avoid “sourgraping” tag said animosities between local Lakas and Kampi party leaders that is like a volcano waiting to erupt violently is one of the reason why party merger is impossible.
The semi retired politician who once occupied top position in Lakas Caraga regional hierarchy added that President Arroyo and Nograles knew all along that their proposal was impossible, “because most of KAMPI leaders in Caraga region today were once with Lakas holding key positions but quit when their rivals moved in and formed KAMPI,” the former politician said. “They are like Tom and Jerry fighting for a single bone,” the ex politician explained.
When asked what the single bone means, the ex politician added,
“although very hard to substantiate it is public knowledge that politicians get kickbacks or commissions from millions of government projects either loan, grant, official development assistance and other sources, that’s what politicians die for, plus the honor and power we get.”
The ex politician claimed that what politicians get more than honor, power and kickback from projects is that it can influenced corridors of power who among regional directors or head of government offices will be removed or not according to their political interest.
But the former politician blamed the voters in Caraga region who it claimed are also corrupt and like parasites suck politicians’ blood dry claiming corrupt political system of the country impossible to cure.
“Unlike in the U.S. where people support politicians here in the Philippines it is the other way around and at one time, I tried to test loyalty of my supporters by cutting temporarily my money support to them and then almost all of them deserted me and went to my rivals,”
the ex politician laughed and chuckling recalling political days. The ex politician also clamored drastic reforms at the bureaucracy complaining rampant alleged cheating done by some unenlightened teachers and COMELEC officials manning voting precincts totally paralyzed vital democratic processes in the Philippines. “The mother of all corruptions in this country is in the corrupt electoral exercises where rampant vote buying seems to be accepted by society in general as regular moral norms as if an S.O.P. or standard operating procedures”, the ex-politician said.
When asked if religious sector and media can correct moral values and political sense of Filipinos, the ex politician replied “maybe” saying some religious leaders themselves including media are “corrupt.”
The ex politician named some warring politicians in Caraga Region who are like Tom and Jerry, in the likes of Matugas-Romarate tandem in Surigao del Norte against the Barbers, powerful Pimentel political clan vs. Murillos, Ty in Surigao del Sur. Pichay factor in Surigao del Sur is nothing without the Pimentels who has grassroots followings than former Congressman Prospero Pichay. Pichay they claimed only relied close friendships with the Arroyos.
The continuing saga of the Plaza clan vs. Amante clan intense rivalry in Agusan del Norte-Butuan politics and the never ending political squabble between former Agusan del Sur Governor and Congressman Paredes against the powerful Plaza clan in Agusan del Sur who now holds power in the province.
