Priest running for governor threatens political dynasty in Northern Samar

CATARMAN, Northern Samar – On a shoestring budget, Monsignor Walter Cerbito is aware that odds will be against him.

Now at 65 years old, he walks for kilometers from one house to another, or take a motorized boat to an island municipality as he campaigns to be the next governor of the impoverished province of Northern Samar.

In stark contrast his political foe, incumbent Gov. Jose Ong Jr., rides a luxury vehicle and reportedly seen taking a helicopter to another island as the battle heats up for the province’ top post.

After all, Ong is one of the richest governors in the country and a scion of a political clan in the province.

“Turning my back to an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of many Nortehanons (Northern Samar residents), is one thing I cannot forgive myself,” he told GMA News Online.

“Not everyone is given that opportunity.”

Until he filed his candidacy for the elections on May 9, Cerbito was the vicar general of the Diocese of Catarman, a position that makes him the sub-altern of the bishop. Now suspended for joining politics, he did not only forego the “relative ease and comfortable life as a priest” but is also denied of the title monsignor.

His entry into politics was initially marred by a disqualification case as a nuisance candidate filed an alleged employee of the governor’s brother. The case was dismissed by the Commission on Election for lack of merit.

“The personal deprivations I was bound to face are made bearable by a more meaningful cause--the welfare of the people of Northern Samar. Yes, it is worth the fight,” he said.

The sacrifices are paying off. No surveys have been on voters’ preference but there is a felt support for the priest.

Aling Hermie, a 48-year old peanut vendor at the town plaza, says she already witnessed so many election campaigns and heard politicians talk. “Monsignor (Cerbito) has no money to buy votes. He does not pay people to attend campaign rallies. But I will vote for him because he is real,” she said.

“Fr. Cerbito is garnering a broad support for his crusade against political dynasty, corruption and moral denigration,” says Fr. Ricardo Melendres, the spokesperson of Cerbito. He said they are getting a huge support for the candidacy of Cerbito among professionals, urban poor residents, farmers and fisherfolk.

“Every day we receive vegetables and root crops from the farmers and dried and fresh fish from the fishermen (as their support for the campaign), says Fr. Melendres. Pedicab and tricycle drivers are also pitching in by giving free transport to roving public address.

Aside from Cerbito, two other candidates are vying for governor but the priest is seen as the biggest threat to the re-election campaign of the incumbent governor, who is a scion of a powerful political clan.

Gov. Ong, who is a former congressman representing Northern Samar’s second district from 1987-1992, is the brother of former National Food Authority administrator Emil Ong during the administration of former President Corazon Aquino.

Emil Ong is on his last term now as congressman of the second district, a post he held since 2007. His son, Edwin, is running unopposed for congressman in the same district.

Another brother is Hector Ong. Hector is married to Madeleine Mendoza-Ong, a former governor of Northern Samar and the incumbent mayor of the town of Laoang, which has the biggest voting population in the second district.

Harris Christopher Ongchuan, a son of Hector and Madeleine, is a councilor of Laoang and a member of the provincial board representing the municipal councilors’ league.

For decades, politics of Northern Samar has been a tiff between the Ongs and the Dazas.

Raul Daza, the current congressional representative of the first district, served as a three-term governor from 2001 to 2010. He was succeeded by his son Paul who won as governor in 2010, but lost in 2013 re-election bid to Jose Ong Jr. Paul also served as a provincial board member in 2004-2007 and representative of Northern Samar first district in 2007-2010.

Raul Daza is seeking re-election as congressional representative of the first district, a post he held since 2010. He is pitted against Harlin Abayon, the governor from 1988-1998.

The fierce rivalry between the Ong and Daza families went a temporary respite when Raul Daza and Emil Ong announced the formation of an alliance and vowed not to oppose each other this election. The two said this coalition is anchored on ensuring the victory of presidential candidate Mar Roxas in the province.

“These erstwhile political foes have been telling the public how corrupt the other was, how the other guy lies through the skin of his teeth, how evil the other side was,” says Cerbito. “In fact, records in the halls of Congress will tell us how they love to hate each other through there privilege speeches, and call each other names other than honorable.”

“Today, they go from end to end of the province telling the electorate how good they both are for the positions they covet,” he said.

Cerbito says the rise of political dynasties in Northern Samar has not been good for the province. “There are various indicators that manifest the correspondence between political dynasty and its contribution to the worsening poverty in Northern Samar,” he said.

The priest says that when Abayon was the governor, Northern Samar was nowhere in the list of 20 poorest provinces in the country.

When Paul Daza became the governor, he said Northern Samar became the 12^th poorest province.

Last year, the province was listed as the fourth poorest. — APG, GMA News