Game of numbers

POLITICS is addition. Elections are a matter of numbers. Two more truths so long established to have become a truism.
So, who’s got the numbers?
The official campaign period for the local candidates is still some 40 days away, but already a number of prospective candidates are way past the initial getting-to-know-me stage and are already into the consolidation phase. As if the elections were but a week away.
Truly, if a prospective candidate let pass a Merry Christmas greeting and still awaited a Happy Valentine’s, then he would most surely get a condolence card after the polls in May. He would just be too late in the game.
An early bird that took more than the proverbial worm is Board Member Lilia “Baby” Pineda whose consultative assemblies have yielded a most bountiful harvest: 14 sitting mayors netted into her camp.
From the first district there’s Pat Guiao of Magalang.
The whole of the second district is all out for the Baby: Darwin Manalansan, Floridablanca; Art Salalila, Sta. Rita; Ric Rivera, Guagua; Lina Bagasina, Sasmuan; of course the son, Dennis of Lubao; and the greatest catch of all – Quiel Gamboa and the whole caboodle of municipal officials of Porac, hometown of the Lapids.
In the third district are Pineda ultra-loyalist Buddy Dungca of Bacolor, Teddy Tumang, Mexico; and Doy Gaddi of Sta. Ana.
Flanking the fourth district for the Baby are Tirso Lacanilao, Apalit; Jerry Pelayo, Candaba; and late additions Lucas Arceo of Sto. Tomas and Digos Canlas of San Simon.
If the gubernatorial contest were held now, and decided on the sheer basis of the vote-generating power of the 14 mayors, then the Baby would have been, most certainly, the runaway winner. All the 14 mayors, especially the three-termers – Guiao, Gamboa, Salalila, Bagasina and Lacanilao but with the exception of Gaddi – having avalanched their respective rivals.
The Baby’s numbers come too from the Old Guards of Pampanga politics: Benny Espino of Arayat, Frank Ocampo of Sta. Rita and Pending Capulong of Floridablanca, who may be out of the limelight but still have some die-hard followers.
Then there’s Dinan Labung and Tiger Lagman, also-rans in 2004: the former in the third congressional district, the latter for the City of San Fernando mayorship. Prospective rivals for the tersera distritu of the House, both straddled the Baby’s stage in the recent miting in Mexico.
The sometimes fiery and ever-eloquent Rosve Henson is worth thousands of votes for the Baby.
Easily, the quality of the supporters of the Baby brings in the requisite quantity in winning elections. Then there’s more.
The barangay chairs and councils? If the December 22 birthday bash of Mr. Rodolfo Q. Pineda at the King’s Royale Hotel were any indication, they too have been numbered in the Baby’s ledger.
So sorry, not all the barangay chairs nga pala with 26 of Porac’s 29 marked as exhibits for the sitting governor.
Still that’s a paltry vis-à-vis the numbers of the Baby. Even marking away the mayors who have yet to jump ober d’ bakod like the three Floreses – Peter of Masantol, Bobong of Macabebe and Edgar of Minalin – as well as Boking Morales of Mabalacat, Chito Espino of Arayat and Oca Rodriguez of San Fernando.
Jay Sagum of San Luis is a lone number, expected to follow bayaw Rimpy Bondoc’s purported Third Force.
So, are the Lapid days at the Capitol numbered?