Best bet

“THE ONLY candidate who could make things greater in Angeles City, Mabalacat, and Magalang.”

Thus, business mogul Manny V. Pangilinan upped his ante on term-ending Vice Gov. Joseller “Yeng” Guiao as best bet for the first congressional district of Pampanga.

“There could be no other leader to lead Pampanga’s first district but Yeng Guiao. He is a statesman and I strongly believe he will push more for the development of the area much that he is young, brilliant, and steadfast.”  

So much faith MVP reposited in Guiao there.

The endorsement, given during the birthday fete of the country’s top CEO in his hometown Apalit last week, was not actually the first time Guiao got injected with an adrenaline rush from MVP.

At the Most Outstanding Kapampangan Awards last year, Guest of Honor MVP addressed Guiao as “Congressman”: first at their presidential table, right in the face of then still-keen-on-reelecting Cong. Tarzan Lazatin; second, right on stage in his salutation to VIPs before delivering his speech.

MVP even went so far as to say he would “support” Guiao’s run.

That “support” while initially founded on the common ground of sports – notably in the Philippine Basketball Association where MVP is owner of champion team Talk & Text and Guiao coach of once-doormat now contender Rain or Shine – has most apparently solidified in MVP’s total faith in Guiao: integrity, capability, dedication and commitment to the people of Pampanga, all in.

Guiao could only gush: “I thank so much MVP for his trust and confidence. Like him, I would not want to fail fellow Kapampangans and work for their common good.”

Even with Lazatin in the running, MVP’s endorsement of Guiao was widely regarded as an “equalizer,” enough to give the master politico a run for his money, his ballyhooed “carpet bombing” strategy well matched with the  enormous war chest MVP, in all probability, would bequeath to Guiao.

With Lazatin setting his sight on the Angeles City mayorship, MVP’s endorsement of Guiao is certified as the tipping point in the first congressional district contest.

The strategist that he is, Guiao would not want to rest on MVP’s endorsement but expressed keenness in going for the kill – reminiscent of the killer instinct of his PBA wards in every game they played: no complacency, hit and hit hard continuously and consistently – until victory is in hand. As they did Wednesday evening, hammering B-Meg for the first slot in the 2012 Governors’ Cup Finals.        

Thus, Guiao’s continuous grassroots networking, hands-on management of programs and projects readily ceded to him by the very supportive Gov. Lilia Pineda, bonding with local leaders, engaging in other activities outside media glare.

While concededly now the Man-to-Beat, Guiao is all of over 10 months before MVP’s salutation to him can come to be. A lot of things can still happen. And Guiao’s rivals are no push-overs. Bilog ang bola, as they say in Guiao’s very arena.

There is the comebacking Cong. Francis “Blueboy” Nepomuceno. His three terms at the House are no mean feat. Despite his burial in a landslide of Ed Pamintuan votes in 2010 after a single term as Angeles City mayor, Mister Blue is no punched-out palooka. The city may just opt for its own in a contest against an outsider. And the city’s voting population is bigger than Guiao’s Magalang and Mabalacat combined.

Then, there is an even greater man Guiao has to contend with, if only for his sheer genius: the man I have always rooted for in any and all elections he entered – presidential, congressional, mayoral – Luisito Bacani!

I tell you, it will take more than MVP for Guiao to deal with Bacani.

Let me warn you, MVP’s best bet may yet be bested by my bet. Wanna bet?