A certain Mr. Franklin Ong

If we consider community attachments and neighborly relations, I was saddened by the loss of Hon. Franklin Ong in his attempt for re-election as president of the Barangay Councilors League of the Philippines, Cebu City chapter. Mr. Ong is a councilor of our Barangay Kasambagan and so I, because we are residents of the same barangay, would have rooted for him if I were a kagawad voting in the league elections. His loss was a loss of a fellow barangay resident!

There is an added attachment to consider. I would have also wanted him to win because, when my lady, Carmen was Kasambagan kagawad, she also was chosen the president of the councilors league such that Hon. Ong would have followed her footsteps.

My first statement above was introduced by an "If". Despite being fellow residents of the same barangay, I do not know Hon. Ong, personally. If we chance to meet face to face and nobody would tell me he is our barangay councilor, I would not be able to attach his face to his name. Besides, we do not belong to the same generation. I am much older. When I was elected Cebu City councilor, Hon. Ong was probably not born yet. I mention this stint of mine in the sanggunian because I was told that had Hon. Ong won, he would aspire for a seat in the same city council that I served many years ago.

Of course, I came across the name of a certain Mr. Franklin Ong sometime ago. During the term of my lady, also as Cebu City councilor, the city council tackled a problem which, many thought, was related to a probable criminal act and corrupt practice. It was about a dump truck that was sold to Cebu City as brand new. I do not know if the sale transaction was cleared of any suspicion and eventually consummated. But it happened that the councilors were informed that the said dump truck was not brand new. It was a second hand unit passed as brand new. And so, they questioned the deal. If memory serves me right, it was a Franklin Ong, or his company, who was reported to have sold the said dump truck. I do not know if our present honorable barangay councilor Franklin Ong was the same guy who was perceived to have been involved in that transaction.

When the counting of the votes in the BCLP election was completed, a newspaperman reportedly approached Hon. Ong, to offer comforting words. This media personality knew how, from the point of margin, embarrassing the loss. He witnessed when Atty. Raymond Garcia, a first termer Barangay Kamputhaw Kagawad buried Hon. Ong, with an avalanche of votes. He thought that a comforting message would assuage the pain of an unexpected debacle.

Because the respected newspaperman, a friend of mine, knew that I live in Barangay Kasambagan, he imagined that bringing my name into his conversation with Hon. Ong, and another radio personality would facilitate their chance banter. He was shocked by the belligerent reaction. The kagawad said that I am his "kaaway". Yes, the defeated BCLP presidential aspirant used that Cebuano word. So shocked was the news writer that he forgot about his plan to ask Hon. Ong for possible explanation of his devastating loss. Instead, he sent me a text about his rough experience.

Considering that as I have written above, I have not personally encountered our kagawad, nor do I know him personally, I cannot, in heaven's name, speculate of any reason why he would consider me his "kaaway". Let me tell him that politics is for me, a happy past. To repeat, I worked hard to introduce a new kind of politics years ahead of Mr. Ong's style. So, I cannot be his political kaaway because, in all honesty, I do not harbor any political ambitions anymore as to threaten him.

My profession, from which I have taken a Sabbatical for some time now, does not compete with businessmen who, using the influence of political demigods, corner the sales of second hand heavy equipment to the government.

In fine, lacking any knowledge why Hon. Ong, would treat me a "kaaway", I could only say perhaps, it is this warlike personality of his that caused him his defeat. Or worse, should any harm come my way, I would have a person to account for.

***

Email: [email protected].