ILIGAN City ― "We will not go back."

This is the message of the "blue'' team led by Vice President Kamala Harris who is now the candidate for President of America which is now six weeks away from election day there. The message was for the team of the "red" team of Donald Trump.

Residents and political groups here see similarities between the politics in faraway America and this city in northern Mindanao. The "red" team here led by Congressman Celso G. Regencia is hoping to make a return of the comeback as far as leadership in the city is concerned.

But the trouble of this latter team is that they have "unity" concerns. There are several of them who are running for the local positions. Like the mayoral teams. There is the team of then Vice Mayor Jemar Vera Cruz who is seen to be running for the same position of VM after he lost the mayoral position in 2022. The mayoral candidate of the team is seen as Buboy Mijares.

There's also the team of Retired Police Col. Rolando Anduyan. He calls himself, the "Kargador sa Iligan." His running mate hasn't been revealed yet. Or maybe, am not updated on the matter?

There's also the "favored" team of Regencia, Pol. Col. (Ret.) Roy Ga. Earlier, he was known as Leony Roy Ga. But he dropped the "Leony''. Maybe to shorten his name? And make it more appealing to the voters here?

That reminds me of years ago when I was connected with the government in Cagayan de Oro I had some office mates by the names of Toto Ga and Tata Go. We always had some good laughs at these names!

In contrast to this Leony thing, there's his rumored running mate for VM of this city, who calls himself "Wekwek" Uy. We didn't know his real name then. But now, in his fiesta greetings heard over the air lanes in some stations that broadcast messages other than the station that only give messages, favorable to this "red' team he shows his other names as "Ernest Oliver " aka "Wekwek" That\s good. Because from time to time, according to some "Marites" his name is taken in vain when it comes to projects under this "red" team. So…well, those insinuations only come from these "Marites" guys which during these times are proliferating.

Now, these political "games" or gimmicks are in these times played to the lowest level. Like that one in connection with this month-long city fiesta and tourism month which has St. Michael the Archangel as the patron saint. In the Arch in front of the St. Michael Cathedral designed by some young Visual Artists of the city, it was learned that the lower portion of the arch was filled with graffiti. Unsightly ones. And worse, it was reported that there was one graffiti that said: "The mayor is dead!"

The structure was then guarded day and night, it was learned. After the unsightly messages were erased.

It was learned too that the "blue" team had placed a tarp near the arch with the faces of the incumbents led by mayor Frederick Siao saying: "Two years in Service.' Which many here did not like and many residents too clamored for the priests in the cathedral to have it taken down.

I don't know if that is already taken off from the fence enclosing the said church.

On the national scene, we have VP Sara meeting with former VP Leni. Which became trending as many didn't like it though some welcomed it too. That was during the Penafrancia fiesta in Naga a few days ago. Now some are seeing it as an aftermath or some reaction to the questions regarding the OVP made by Congress during its sessions. VP Sara says in so many words that these could be some witch hunt (my words, not hers) for her to be impet, I mean impeached. So, in one session, I saw her, saying in so many words, that she was not there to cooperate. Or words to that effect. Because the body had one thing foremost in the minds under this administration led by PBBM.

Even as we see too Atty. Harry Roque, who is to be cited "in contempt" for not attending investigations by some committees is it "Quad"? Which is a combination of several committees.

And Roque too talks about "contempt" and "abuse of authority." Because it is only the Courts that can do that. So he says, "The people of this country are citing you in contempt!"

Now those are some present dynamics in this so politicized country of ours. And I remember the words of Vice President Emmanuel Pelaez; "What's happening to this country?"

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