Lapu-Lapu Liberals and a pocket paradise

As the administration candidate for mayor of Lapu-Lapu City, businessman Efrain “Jun” Pelaez Jr. does not strut around like a winning candidate endorsed by the hugely popular President Benigno S. Aquino III. This was my assessment of Pelaez during last Tuesday’s 888 News Forum at the Marco Polo Plaza.

Jun is running against incumbent Mayor Paz Radaza, wife of former mayor-turned- Congressman Arturo “Boy” Radaza of the lone district of Lapu-Lapu City. The local businessman, who owns Marina Mall, lost to Paz in 2010 but his candidate for president, Noynoy Aquino won the national elections. Meanwhile, Boy Radaza will not seek his last congressional term in May due to ill health and is fielding his daughter instead.

With the resources at the disposal of the incumbent mayor and congressman, should they be afraid of opposition candidates who belong to the party of the President?

Money politics is the name of the game, but some issues have a way of cropping up and change the game in ways that tons of money cannot hope to do.

The lamppost anomaly was the game changer in the 2007 local elections in Mandaue. Jonkie Ouano, son of then incumbent Mayor Thadeo Ouano, lost to Jonas Cortes in the mayoralty race. Likewise, the death of former President Corazon “Cory” Aquino pushed then senator Noynoy Aquino to run for and win the presidency in 2010 despite the machinery of the administration that supported Gilberto Teodoro, although many Lakas Christian Muslim Democrat partisans also went for Manny Villar in the polls.

The Radazas will be tough to beat for as long as the local Liberals do not have resources of their own to spend and the national party will just chip in for campaign expenses. But in the substantive part of the campaign, Lapu-Lapu Liberals should be winning because the computer scam and lamppost anomaly continue to hound Boy Radaza. The question is, are the Oponganons listening?

During the 888 forum, Jun conceded that while P-Noy’s presence in local rallies would be very beneficial, Jun was not optimistic the President would drop whatever he is doing and campaign for the Lapu-Lapu Liberals.

But what if P-Noy actually does? After all, Jun Pelaez has been waging an anti-corruption crusade for years now, and in that sense, the President can relate to him, daang matuwid-wise.

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The Schoenstatt Movement in the Philippines is all set to hold its first National Convention from March 15 to 18 at the Schoenstatt Spirituality Center in Lawaan, Talisay City. The theme of the three-day meet is, “In gratitude and faith, sent forth to fulfill the Schoenstatt mission for our time.”

The movement is composed of the Schoenstatt congregation of priests, nuns and lay people who help spread the faith. The Schoenstatters, as the religious and lay members are sometimes called, draw from the spiritual teachings of its German founder, Fr. Joseph Kentinich, who was ordained priest in 1910 and whose deep faith and devotion to Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary are well recognized by the Catholic Church.

The German priest lived through the horrors of World War II. Arrested by the Gestapo in Koblenz in 1941, Kentenich served three years in a Dachau concentration camp by supporting fellow priests and sustaining the flagging faith of war victims, whom he encouraged to “become good men instead of degenerating into animals even in the face of certain death.” There are efforts pushing for his beatification and the anticipation of his being elevated to the Church’s elect permeate various activities leading to the jubilee or centenary of the birth of the Movement come 2014.

The community also marks its 25-year presence in the Philippines.

The physical presence can be seen in the beautiful shrine nestled on top of the hills of Lawaan. I often refer to this sanctuary as a pocket paradise because it is very accessible to people in Metro Cebu. The Shrine of Our Mother Thrice Admirable, Queen and Victress of Schoenstatt offers a place for quiet prayer which is so needed especially in this season of Lent.

As a media volunteer, I’m happy to note that many delegates from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao are listing up for the convention.

The Schoenstatt Sisters wish to thank Smart Communications through lawyer Jane Paredes and Des Gocotano for helping make the national conference possible. The movement is also indebted to media friends in print and broadcast who plugged the event.

For more details about the convention, please call 272 8122 or text 0917 582 7929.