LAOAG CITY鈥擳he results of elections in Ilocos Norte merely proved that political dynasty is a nonissue among Ilocanos.
To Herdy Yumul, an Ilocano blogger and sociology professor, it remains an arduous feat to penetrate Ilocos Norte鈥檚 political landscape, which has long been dominated by established dynasties.
鈥淚locanos have come to accept that Ilocos Norte is Marcos country and Laoag is a Fari帽as territory,鈥� he said.
Gov. Imee Marcos, who ran unopposed on her second term, had been proclaimed along with her mother, Rep. Imelda Marcos, the winner in the second congressional district race with a wide margin over closest rival, lawyer Ferdinand Ignacio.
听
No party
Rep. Rodolfo Fari帽as, also unopposed in the first district congressional race, did not join the proclamation. His daughter, Ria, who topped the provincial board race, was not around during the event.
Yumul said new names would find it doubly difficult to change the landscape more so that political families are grooming the next generation of politicos.
He cited the case of Imee鈥檚 children, Borgy and Michael, who are expected one day to invade the Marcoses鈥� political Ground Zero in Batac City. Borgy and Michael are registered voters of Batac.
In the case of the Ablan family, the traditional politician鈥檚 image of veteran Roque Ablan Jr. seemed to have been a liability to younger Ablans, Yumul said.
Ablan鈥檚 son, Kris (also a lawyer like his father), lost to outgoing Laoag City Mayor Michael Fari帽as in the vice mayoral contest.
Contaminated
鈥淜ris offered himself as a breath of fresh air. But this was contaminated by his father鈥檚 trapo image,鈥� Yumul said.
Then there鈥檚 the next generation Fari帽as. Jeff Fari帽as, son of Rodolfo鈥檚 younger brother, Eric, also topped the Laoag council race.
But Yumul said Ria鈥檚 victory was all because of her father. He said Fari帽as has a deep-seated clout among Ilocanos punctuated by his performance in the impeachment trial of former Chief Justice Renato Corona.
鈥淚t was not new generation but Rudy (Representative Fari帽as) asserting himself,鈥� Yumul said.