Oca fights causes that can’t be lost

JUST as darkness cannot defeat light, the battle for truth, the real history of the country and what we believe is a better future of our beloved nation cannot be lost.

In an interview with senior journalist and respected opinion-maker John Nery (Rappler, Campaign Trail, 23 February 2022), Mayor Oscar Moreno made two major points: 1) transactional politics give candidates with money an advantage in terms of getting support from local politicians; and 2) Eventually, people will vote based on what they thought would bring in a better future for the country.

On his first point, as a senior local statesman, Mayor Oscar S. Moreno of Cagayan de Oro is well on his legacy tour. And in his candidacy for governor of Misamis Oriental, a position he held in 2004 to 2013, he would always say that having Ariel “Ayi” Hernandez as his running mate is a blessing in disguise.

Prior to completing the slate of the Kaabag Kami: OneMisOrOneCDO, there were attempts at local alliances. Mayor Moreno was open to unifications with other local political groups because he thought it would send a strong message of unity – the core principle of his One Misamis Oriental – One Cagayan de Oro battlecry.

OneMisOrOneCDO is a political call to action to unite the people of Misamis Oriental and Cagayan de Oro, with a unified development roadmap and unified leadership.

The failure to foment an alliance with other local political groups had Mayor Oca looking for other options. Then in April 2021, a summit of Misamis Oriental youth leaders came up with the Libertad Declaration. This declaration manifested the aspirations of the youth to have a Misamis Oriental that excels, and their aspiration to have better education, better infrastructure and interconnectivity, better health and good governance. By his pronouncements, Mayor Oca thought the aspirations of the youth were hard to fulfill by himself. He needs a young and dynamic leader who shares his principles of governance based on people empowerment. Ayi Hernandez fits the bill. And now Mayor Oca would say his tandem with Ayi Hernandez is a blessing in disguise.

A close look at Mayor Oca’s politics would tell us a story of his struggles against the ills of Philippine politics. It was hard, as it is now for him to survive. He rose to national prominence as a stellar prosecutor in the impeachment of Pres. Erap Estrada. Wanted to impeach an Ombudsman. But he opted to come back to Misamis Oriental, skipping what would have been a third term in Congress that could have cemented his place in national politics, to put things at the Capitol in order in 2004.

In the 2013 elections, he could have conveniently run again as congressman in the first district of Misamis Oriental, but he again took another enormous challenge – run in Cagayan de Oro vs a touted local political kingpin, because he thought the premiere city of Northern Mindanao needs some serious housekeeping and rebuilding after getting hit by Sendong and 15 years of misgovernance.

The rest is history. Throughout his political career, Oca battled the tentacles of traditional politics. When he became governor, he did not mind displeasing mayors when he stopped giving cash giveaways, as the previous administrations did. When he ran for his first reelection in 2007, the majority of the mayors were against him. In 2011, he had to veto the provincial budget because the opposition Sanguniang Panlalawigan made sure he would be lame duck governor as he goes into his last year.

He won fair and square in Cagayan de Oro in 2013, but had a toxic opposition majority in the City Council. He had to contend with reconstituted budgets for 2014 and 2015. But that did not stop him from building over 400 classrooms, resurrected the moribund city-owned JR Borja General Hospital, modernized rural health centers and presided over the building back better Cagayan de Oro.

Last year, I wrote ‘Oca keeps going at 70.’ At 71 on 28 February 2022, he still keeps going for battles larger than himself to make sure the future of Misamis Oriental and Cagayan de Oro will be better.

As an anti-thesis of transactional politics, Oca Moreno surprised even his closest lieutenants when he declared support for the presidential quest of Vice President Leni Gerona Robredo on October 23 last year. Even veteran pundit John Nery looked surprised when Mayor Oca told him the vice president never asked for his support. He even made the decision at the risk of getting ostracized by the Pacman wing of the PDP Laban which took shelter at the Promdi political party.

Promdi issued their Certificates of Nomination when he and the OneMisOrOneCDO slate filed their candidacies early in October last year. He was the first mayor of a highly urbanized city outside of Metro Manila to declare support for the Robredo candidacy.

He said he is supporting Leni Robredo because he believes in her competence to preside over the country when the economy is destroyed by the pandemic. He also believes that the character of the vice president can unite the country.

Mayor Oca is now running for governor of Misamis Oriental without a single mayoralty candidate in the province’s 23 towns and two component cities. He did so rather than offering huge financial support in exchange for the support of mayoralty candidates. One candidate of a key locality in the province had even told him if he can top up the financial offer of one of his political opponents in exchange for support. To this, he politely replied, that is not my style of politics.

What he promises though is that even if the mayors are supporting his opponents, when he regains the helm at the Capitol, every municipality will get their fair share of services from the provincial government. He says that while traditional politics is about domination and control, his governance will be based on empowerment where everyone will benefit from government regardless of political color.

He is again running a difficult campaign. But with his solid platform of governance, his track record and a solid line-up, with Ayi Hernandez leading the pack for the Sanguniang Panlalawigan, all indicators point to the warm welcome, once again, of his province mates.

It cannot be helped that as Oca Moreno roams the province with his OneMisOrOneCDO slate to campaign for the presidency of Leni Robredo and the vice presidency of Kiko Pangilinan, he would always come into the warm embrace (figuratively) of the people.

A repurposed carton hand-written with “Hangtud karun Oca Moreno gihapon,” in Lugait town speaks it all.

Happy 71st Mayor Oca. You are an epitome of a winner.