Mayor Baby Cajes, 'no babe in the political woods in 3-in-1 concoction'
By Boy Guingguing, Sunday Post
Life the hot coffee we used to know as 3-in-1, there is a political equivalent concocted by the most clever politician Bohol has ever known.
Pardon our description but this is not meant to despise our favorite politician, who is at it again in his role as an astute political animal.
Truth is, we adore to high heavens his honesty and sincerity in public service that even in his twilight years he is still a force to reckon with.
The adjective "clever" is therefore complimentary given his colorful political career which to this day still the envy of his peers.
We are referring to Gov. Erico Aumentado's announcement in Trinidad that Cong. Roberto "Ondoy" Cajes is a candidate for vice governor. For Aumentado, it was a calculated gambit in making the announcement right in Cajes' territory. Never mind that in the same forum, he also made a formal declaration of his bid to run for his old Congress seat in the second district.
Of course, the governor was making a tight balancing act as he made the announcement bearing in mind that he should not commit the mistake of opening his mouth as to whoever is his anointed one for governor. As of last report, the governor was as evasive as ever not to make a categorical statement who between his close allies—Cong. Edgar Chatto and V-Gov. Julius Ceasar Herrera who are all eyeing the position he is vacating.
"It's a party decision", he said, matter-of-factly.
Meanwhile, talks are ripe that Cajes is the vice governor of choice of Cong. Edgar Chatto. The governor in turn was reported to be rooting for V-Gov. Julius Ceasar Herrera and in many occasions, he was quoted as having endorsed the vice governor as the next governor.
If this information is validated no less than the governor, then Herrera is it.
In fact, in one instance in an affair in Mabini, what was this we hear that the governor has endorsed Board Member Conching Lim as the vice governor of Herrera. This was confirmed by V-Gov. Herrera because he was there when the governor made the announcement.
Now back to the Trinidad sortie. If we have to read between the lines, part of the governor's opening salvo in naming the congressman as candidate for vice governor (may be short of telling his audience that he is my candidate) was in line with the 3-in-1 concoction.
As in the 3-in-1 coffee preparation, the governor is the coffee while the congressman is the cream. The sugar here is of course Mayor Baby Cajes. That makes the 3-in-1 combination.
Certainly, no babe in the woods of second district politics, Baby Cajes, the Trinidad mayor, is a factor in the –3-in-1 equation considering her proximity to the power to be vacated by her husband.
But with the lady mayor out of the running, Aumentado's fresh crack at the congressional plum will go unchallenge from a serious contender.
This means that the Aumentado announcement made in Cajes' turf succeeded in creating the impression that the comeback kid was able to disarm the lady mayor if at all she's nursing any ambition to succeed her husband. Yes, indeed, why in the first place would he made the Cajes' announcement in Trinidad? Why not in his hometown Ubay?
With the personalities of a 3-in-1 scenario identified as beneficiaries given Aumentado's positioning in Trinidad, the configuration more or less clear the air of the smog of a Cajes run for vice governor. As for Mayor Cajes, seeking reelection is a path of least resistance and she can comfort herself that if Aumentado will run out of excuses to run again, then she can fill in the leadership vacuum.
For his comeback bid, Aumentado is a shoo-in for reelection. Never mind those pretenders who think that being a public servant is synonymous to public nuisance.
Like his favorite beverage, a good wine mellows with age. At his age, he has mellowed through the years, and by all indications, he knows what it takes to win an election. For sure, he has not receded his hairline if he is wet between those ears.
As for Mayor Cajes, she can wait. When she doused cold water to speculations that she is not even thinking of challenging Aumentado, it was one mark of leadership that speaks volumes of the lady's sincerity to good governance. After all, as mayor of Trinidad, she is still the woman to beat in the coming 2010 mayoralty contest.