Some of my friends have joined the bandwagon in their quest for an elective office. Their love for country and to serve the people is all too evident in their behavior and past accomplishments.
One particular individual I wish to make mention is no other than our former DILG and DepEd Undersecretary Epimaco Verano Densing III who recently filed his candidacy to run for Governor of Surigao del Sur.
I certainly have no qualms putting in a good word about Epi Densing simply because I have witnessed first-hand his work ethics and his no-nonsense dedication to government work and love of country and our people.
And other than that, he is a good friend. No less than the RP-Mission and Development Foundation Inc. (RPMD), in its job performance ratings for September 2023 has given Densing an 87% ranking among other high-performing public officials in the country.
With this, I am certain that Surigao del Sur will soon have a new Governor with a genuine desire to serve her people.
The second candidate also worth mentioning is Margarita ‘Maggie” Cacho who filed her COC in her desire to run for Governor of Guimaras. She comes from the old Cacho clan and is cousin of our First Lady LAM and is a breath of fresh air for Guimaras.
And thirdly but not last, Current Ilocos Norte Vice-Governor Cecilia Araneta Marcos who will be running for Governor of the province.
Cecile is the wife of my late good friend Nonong Marcos, a first cousin of the President. Vice-Governor Cecile has done an excellent job and I have no doubt she will even do better as Governor.
Walk the talk and walk some more
I had the privilege to meet Dr. Tony Leachon recently in his clinic at the Manila Doctors Hospital.
This is the same hospital where I first saw the light of day – or perhaps it was the fluorescent bulb in the delivery room some six decades ago courtesy of my mother’s physician, Dr. Socorro “Nene” Gerona de Castro who later on became Vice-Governor of Sorsogon in the seventies.
Dr. Leachon is a friendly physician and I certainly relate well with his advocacies being these top three: calorie counters for every eating place; bicycle lanes in our cities; and walking paths for citizens who put much value in the importance of a healthy lifestyle.
The reason for my recent visit is to make sure that my blood sugar levels are well-managed and that my creatinine count does not exceed high levels. A complete lifestyle change with the correct diet and a lot of walking does wonders.
And of course, a nice conversation with a doctor makes all the difference.
Dr. Leachon further explained that among neighboring South East Asian nations, the Philippines lags behind mortality wise with its failure to adapt to the changing times, hence our life expectancy is shorter than the other Asian races.
For indeed, it is not the strongest or the smartest who survives, but the one who can readily adapt to change and embrace it. I believe it was Charles Darwin who said these words (or something to that effect) in his Origin of Species.
The fall of the Dutertes and the rise of the Remullas
It is evident that the fall of the Dutertes as a once powerful political family is unfolding right before our very eyes.
What with the coming ICC that will have to handle the case against Duterte and his police minions, the biggest one being Senator Bato dela Rosa.
As this happens, comes now the rise of the Remulla siblings namely Boying and Jonvic who currently occupy key cabinet positions in the Marcos administration, Jonvic being a recent appointee to the DILG portfolio.
Just like Cagayan Province, Cavite has delivered a resounding nod for the Marcos presidency during the campaign up to election day.
Boying and Jonvic are friends of mine for many years. They were prepared well by their late father, the former longest-serving Cavite Governor Juanito Remulla Sr. So it is no surprise that these two brothers have also occupied gubernatorial posts for vote-rich Cavite.
Jonvic enjoyed intense basketball games with friends while Boying is a cycling connoisseur. I am most certain these brothers will shine as they serve under the Marcos administration.
Boying is on his way to a full recovery from a heart condition which needed extra medical attention, while Jonvic is a strong as a carabao and is very fit to take on the job as DILG Secretary. Kudos to these brothers!
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My radio program “Leslie Bocobo Live” aired over Radyo Pilipinas (RP1) 738 Khz. AM will have former DILG and DepEd Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III with me today. We will be broadcasting live this Thursday afternoon from 1:00-2:00PM and will be livestreamed over Facebook and Twitter X.
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Random Memorandum: The filing of COCs from all types of would-be candidates is a circus spectacle. From here, one is treated with a preview of what kind of people would be in elected positions.
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Factoid: Subdivision developers are strange people. They are in endless search of land to convert into subdivisions, and when they find one filled with fruit-bearing trees, they chop down those trees and name the subdivision streets after fruits like Langka, Santol, Chico, Atis, etc.
(Leslie Bocobo is a former Special Assistant to the Secretary at the Office of the Press Secretary, Malacañang, and a former Public Affairs Director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources)
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