GMA bandwagon in Western Visayas

It’s too early for it. But what is shaping up is a bandwagon for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the Western Visayas.

The first indicator was the massive shift to the President’s camp by 500 leaders of the Freedom, Peace and Progress Movement, headed by Eva Padernal, regional coordinator of movie idol Fernando Poe Jr.

The group leads a cadre of 200,000 volunteers and supporters from Iloilo, Antique, Aklan and Guimaras.

The provincial coordinators also attended their press conference in Iloilo, and they all affirmed the decision of Padernal, saying the reason for their shift was that they could no longer entrust the country to a candidate who does not have "a sense of gratitude and is making a mockery of the true spirit of volunteerism."

She stressed that the volunteers of FPJ could no longer endure being taken for granted and ignored by FPJ himself.

But that was just the top of the icing. Yesterday, Bacolod folk were jarred when some 1,000 tricycle drivers and operators held a parade in Bacolod to announce their support for GMA. The drivers went around the city and converged at the public plaza.

Belen Castro, chairwoman of the Federation of Bacolod Trisikad Operators and Drivers, said they believe in Arroyo’s leadership.

Trisikad drivers from Iloilo, Zamboanga, Davao, Manila and Cagayan de Oro also held similar rallies for the President.

In Negros Occidental, similar spectacular parades of trisikad and tricycles were also held in other cities such as Victorias City.

Aksyon Chairman Backs GMA

Even Aksyon Demokratiko of presidential bet Raul Roco suffered a major setback yesterday when its provincial chairman, Manuel Puey, resigned and shifted his support to GMA.

The reason: Puey said a president is one who needs to be in good health to be able to run the country.

Puey asked provincial vice chairman Juancho Aguirre to take over the leadership of Aksyon.

Shortly after, Puey sat down with Rafael Coscolluela, GMA’s campaign manager in the province. He agreed to help put together a united front for the second district of Negros Occidental. This covers Sagay City, Cadiz and Manapla.

In Negros Occidental, however, many of the town mayors who had thrown their support behind FPJ following the dramatic somersault by Gov. Joseph Marañon to Poe three weeks ago, have already gravitated back to GMA. So did the two rivals for mayor of San Carlos City — Roger Debulgado and Bong Lacson.

Calatrava shifted back to GMA. So did Toboso. And in Escalante City, the two mayoralty contenders — Santiago Barcelona and R. Ponsica — are both campaigning for GMA.

What seems to be holding back the others is the fact that they are still waiting for the final word on logistics. The problem is business tycoon Eduardo Cojuangco had left for Australia with his last words — "I am apolitical."

Thus, a lot of these mayors are left holding the bag. The common talk among the rebellious mayors is that they are now running out of money at the tailend of the campaign when they need funds to pay their poll inspectors and ward leaders.

Gov. Maranon, however, is confident that Negrenses will still go for FPJ. But he also admitted that many of his followers may have shifted their support to his challenger, Delia "Duds" Locsin.

Actually, as he himself admitted, "Duds" hardly merited a second glance from the start of the campaign for the governorship. Lately, since his sudden turnaround, there have been a major shift of support for Duds.

Bro. Eddie Villanueva

Supporters of Bro. Eddie Villanueva astonished local political watchers by drawing a crowd of 7,000 to listen to the evangelist at the Bacolod plaza last Saturday .

Some are betting that Villanueva and his Bangon Pilipinas Movement may draw as much as 400,000 voters in Negros Occidental.

One can either deduce that as supreme optimism or simply drawing the followers of Alyansa ng Pag-asa of Raul Roco to Villanueva.

Be that as it may, the Saturday crowd that congregated at the Business Inn included some of the big names in the sugar industry, especially Cecy Magsaysay and Babes Alvarez.

To prove Bro. Eddie’s drawing power, some 140 luxury vehicles participated in his motorcade later in the afternoon.

In short, don’t count him out yet.

Post-Graduate Interns

Saturday evening, I attended the graduation of post-graduate interns who underwent additional medical training at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital.

My own daughter, Dr. May Irene Espina-Rife, was among the graduates, hence, my presence in the affair with the former colleagues of my late wife, Dr. Lourdes L. Espina, director of the regional hospital.

What struck me was the speculation that some of the PGIs may eventually end up in nursing school. Eventually, director Guillermo Vega articulated what had been talked about in whispers. He appealed to the new physicians (still under board) to practice medicine here instead of looking for jobs abroad.

Later, however, Dr. Benito Bionat, chief of clinics, pointed out to me a diplomate in internal medicine who returned recently to this country to enroll in nursing.

And there are still many physicians, especially in government hospitals, who are taking up nursing. Their aim: to get employed abroad even only as nurses.

The PGI graduates were Dr. Kimri Jingco, outstanding PGI; Jennifer Sy, who topped the pre-board examination; my own daughter, and Drs. Kareen Dionela, Michelle Madalugdog, Marie Manganto, Jean Geroso, Julius Acosta, Carlos Dino, Henrilyn Aguillon, Deane Dumol, Ernesto Orfel, Juan Isidoro Recardo, Kristen Atonson and Gladys Magbanua.

The list also included Drs. Celestelyn Barredo, Soledad Legislador, Sharon Villanueva, Rona Pinuela, Lily Roxas, Leah Failagutan, Belinda Magallanes, Junapel Sarcon, Honesto Magdang and Michelle Dignadice.

Well, here’s to the hope they don’t end up as nursing students intending to get employed abroad. But one thing that should be done is that government officials should examine meticulously the pay scale of resident doctors and government doctors to stem the exodus of medics abroad as nurses.