In politics and in other fields of endeavors there are doyens and there are novices.
I find this subject quite relevant given the political climate we have these days. We are barely two month away from Election Day.
In Davao City former City Mayor and President of the Republic of the Philippines is vying to return to City Hall. On March 28 he will turn 80. His political constituents wanted him to serve as Mayor again in what is considered the biggest city in the country. Some people, including a garrulous Senator who looks like Risa Hontiveros, are not aware that Davao City is bigger than the National Capital Region or Metro Manila. It is obvious that Davawenyos, including the business community, wanted an assurance that peace and the healthy investment climate will prevail and not gamble on a novice in the art of governance needed in the dynamic growth of a City like Davao.
We are used to saying the universal adage : “Age is just a number” and “Age does not define what one can do” or “Age does not matter”. Having served as Mayor for 23 years then as President for six years, Duterte or “Tatay Digong is a perfect example of a “Doyen” in that he is knowledgeable and proficient of the tasks in running the country and city as a result of long experience in the field of politics. His unique strategies of addressing crime including the art of diplomacy in the area of foreign affairs are a bonus.
Karlo Nograles might have been congressman for a number of years but he is a novice when it comes to running the city. Through his propagandists we hear of his plans to digitize processes various agencies in the city government. Sadly he is not aware that it is an ongoing thing. The inter-connectivity and inter-operative systems are being attended to by a special team who are knowledgeable of internet of things.
Up in Davao de Oro a new and reluctant political candidate but is a household name, Noe “Butchoy” Taojo, is an emerging political leader as he is in his various business enterprises. He might be a novice but as a private person Butchoy is perfect mold of what a politician is sought for. He has nothing to prove anymore for as he is by nature demonstrative in his ways of helping people in need. His deeds speak and campaign for him. If these days it is as if he is a rockstar wherever he goes in District 2 of Davao de Oro, it is actually on account of the number of people he had helped who only knew him by name “Butchoy” whom they now see in person and have the opportunity to embrace and say “Thank You”.
