DIGOS PROTEST Arvin Malaza, owner of radio station 97.5 Muews Radio in Digos City, burns a Taiwanese flag in the city’s Rizal Park in protest against the alleged maltreatment of Filipino workers in Taiwan. ELDIE S. AGUIRRE/INQUIRER MINDANAO
DIGOS CITY—A broadcaster here stayed true to his promise that he would strip off his clothes should Davao del Sur Gov. Douglas Cagas lose in his bid to become mayor of this city.
A barefoot Abdul Rackman Jamad, wearing only his briefs, walked about two kilometers from Rizal Avenue to Rizal Park on the Pan-Philippine Highway not as a protest action but as a celebratory move after his fearless forecast came true.
The 48-year-old broadcaster had predicted that reelectionist Mayor Joseph Peñas would defeat Cagas, even if the governor had more money, experience and machinery.
Before being proclaimed the winner of the mayoralty race, Peñas was considered by many analysts as the underdog despite his being the incumbent mayor.
Unlike Cagas, Peñas had no other relatives in major government posts—both elective and appointive—except for his elder brother, City Engineer Emilio Peñas.
At least a hundred people, some of them followers of his program on Muews Radio, joined Jamad.
The anchorman had wanted to go bare naked but because there was an existing law against public nudity, he opted to parade in the city’s main thoroughfares in his underwear.
The “monty” he pulled refers to the English film and play “The Full Monty” where some men did a striptease.
“I am vindicated. The mere fact that Governor Cagas failed to grab the mayoral seat of Digos, which was won by the incumbent, is a success on my part,” Jamad said.
At Rizal Park, Jamad was joined by Arvin Malaza, owner of radio station 97.5 Muews Radio, who led the burning of a Taiwanese flag in protest of the alleged maltreatment of Filipino workers in that island-nation.
“This is a gesture of my overwhelming happiness over the defeat of Dodo Cagas. I consider him my worst enemy,” said Jamad, who admitted being a former member of Cagas’ staff before his relationship with the governor turned sour.
Jamad said that for still unknown reasons, Cagas made up complaints against him and filed various charges, including falsification of public documents.
“That was why I was so angry at him because I could not understand why he did that to me despite my being a loyalist,” Jamad said.
Since he cut ties with the governor, Jamad said he had dreamed of the day Cagas would fall from power.
Meanwhile, Cagas has to deal with a problem more serious than the demise of his emerging political dynasty.
Police filed complaints against Cagas and several others for alleged violation of antiterrorism and election laws after at least 18 men were arrested and an arms cache was seized by police during the May 13 elections.
Also named respondents in the complaints were Cagas’ son and defeated Davao del Sur gubernatorial candidate Marc Douglas Cagas and defeated Malita mayoralty candidate Princess Erum Parcasio.
The armed men were intercepted after their convoy of motorcycles and a pickup truck registered under the provincial government were flagged down at a Comelec checkpoint near the town center.
The 18 men were also charged with violation of the antiterrorist law and grave threats.
Chief Insp. Demetrius Taypen, Malita town police chief, said the complaints against the governor were submitted to the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.
The Inquirer learned that the Cagases and the other accused had not responded to the complaints as of Saturday.
The governor could not be reached for comment as he did not return calls or reply to text messages from the Inquirer.