Gamboa: Defying Money and Patronage Politics

Independent Vice Mayoralty Candidate Wilson Gamboa, Jr., in various fora, debates, and social media platforms, deeply reflects, that in a political structure of subservience to a monied patron and its contiguous substring of public suspicion instead of public trust, is it possible to run against the bulldozing lava of money and patronage politics?

He added, that where the thousands who are unsuspecting of these consequential inadequacies wrought by the culture of impunity, where public officials are considered above the law, beyond the reach of public accountability, and the culture of materialism that had transformed the seats of government into a quest for power, wealth, favor, and influence, is it possible to call for change by gathering enough votes to disarmed the “formidables”?

Amidst “the saddest crazy fear of the ideals”, the Gamboa candidacy and his Independent Candidate Allies, honestly bear and openly declare their rather fearless stand against it, decisively acted and ran to put a stop to what ails and fails the system of governance. From a vantage point of limited margins but richly armed with the moral high ground as their weapon to defying the manipulations that patronage and money do.

Proven and tested over time, at the high cost of principled opposition, this brave independent Vice Mayoralty Candidate Gamboa, Jr., in a “Debate Serye” organized by DYHB RMN Bacolod last March 16, 2022, re-echoed his father’s advice when he joined politics way back in 2007.

The father, Atty. Wilson Gamboa, Sr.’s undying advice in vernacular was, “Anak indi ka gid magkahisa sa kandidato nga damo kwarta. Pabay-i sila. Hindi ka gid mag-ulo-intra kay amo pa ina ang magatud-lo sa imo sa ulihi sang indi amo, ang mag pangawat. Kong wala ikaw ya kwarta, pisani lang kay mada-og ka gid.” (Be unrelentingly industrious, don’t envy politicians with money and don’t ever dare to even think of money. It will devastate and wipe you out to oblivion).

Thus, the fearless harbinger of structural change, social and political reforms and a moral revolution, Gamboa launch his campaign with nary a cent or despair. He wielded the powers of small meetings, calling on the people of the Barangays and Puroks, to dispense with the culture of money and patronage politics and together let us heed the trumpet call for change, “ang matuod-tuod nga pagbag-o”, a change within the self and according to the path of patriotism, a change grounded on conviction,” he had long fought by his principles and had undeniably proven himself for all to see, not on expensive posters, tarpaulins, giant billboards, caravans and rallies, but on his track records.

To borrow some words from a great satirist of the old days, “angels fear to tread the path” of the morally bankrupt and over-staying politically entrenched leadership. They are quite adept at leading their personal vested interest to the seats of government where the structure allows them to create alliances or turfs, “ang ila mga sinakpan” (sakop). As these leaders overstay in the seats of government, so does their money scooped from the treasury and recycled to bankroll a network of paid influencers.

The Gamboa Vice Mayoralty Candidacy is to paralyze this structural permissiveness and block this immoral money siphoning conveyors that emaciate the coffers intended to serve and save the precious lives of the people. It is imploring the unsuspecting generations of today to be aware, to be socially involved, to be awakened from the slumber of indolence. The trumpet call to crusade is sounded, the people from the Barangays and Puroks must buckle up now to protect themselves from the silent but monstrous creeping scourge of immoderate greed and corruption.

Dispense with the pleasure of apathy and get down to the honest toil; together let us wage the war for structural change, political reforms, and ‘moral revolution’, Gamboa declared.* (FVC)