Ex-Future Congressman Peter Alfaro?

 

Is Vice-Governor Peter Alfaro now the congressman that never will be? 

I have heard from the grapevine that the incumbent vice-governor is already out of the race for a seat in congress at least in 2022, the forthcoming election year, as far as his group is concerned.

People from all sides of political fences said that the former Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) president from 1993-1996 (He was just 20 then.), former successive three-termer Sangguniang Panlalawigan (1998-2007) and sitting vice-governor was voted out of the contest by a party mate who is also enthusiastic to compete for a seat in the province’s lone district in the House of Representatives.

After his term as SK President, he worked as Computer Operator – I and got an employment from the Provincial Government of Occidental Mindoro from 1996-1998. During his tenure as an ordinary employee, he was able to learn the true essence of a public servant and made aware of the responsibilities attached to it.

Today is high time for the time-tested politician to upswing from the ranks, rightfully climbing the political ladder of trust and experience.

The guy is an achiever. He did not stop grinding his tools. While performing his legislative task as provincial board member, he took up Master in Public Administration at Occidental Mindoro State College (OMSC), he also took the Licensure Examinations for Agriculturists and passed with a score rating of 82.83%. In short, he is the most academically prepared for the job at Congress from their group if only given a chance. Though not a lawyer, I think he is the darkest horse in the hippodrome come 2022 for that seat in the HOR.  

This writer is not in a position to censure or say anything about the selection process that the group and the possible candidates have underwent. Those party leaders consulted about the matter have their own mechanisms, criteria and reasons that I do not wish to dip my pen into. That thing is of course internal to them.

Further, I have no idea how VG Peter accepted the decision of his local political group or party, if he is disgruntled or not or if he respects the outcome of the process or what would be his next step. Will he instead slide down as board member or, albeit temporarily, be plain and simple “Citizen Peter”? That I do not want to find out anymore.

As a local political observer, I dire say that the man, if likened to a fruit, is now ripe and ready for harvest, in a manner of speaking. 

He is the best contender among the pretenders and that I need not elaborate. His hour is now. But well, until October comes, nothing is final in the horizon of political alignments.

What Alfaro went through in politics is worth pondering. It will give us a closer and serious look at the political culture and system of Occidental Mindoro. This is the only point I wish underline as a knocker of political happenings.

In the course of 2007 elections, Peter J. Alfaro was one of the four people accused of kidnapping. Hon. Ulysses D. Delgado of Regional Trial Court (RTC) No. 44 issued a Warrant of Arrest in August 27, 2008 against Alfaro and four other individuals. He was the Assistant Provincial Agriculturist then. After almost four months of hiding and spending the holidays “on the road”, they finally go back to the fold of the law and face their accuser(s). He and his co-accused re-surfaced in February 16, 2009.

The case was dismissed by the Court of Appeals (CA) pursuant to the Resolution that was issued by the Secretary of Justice on April 1, 2011 in I.S. No. 2007-164. He and his companions were vindicated in the eyes of God and men.

Remember, I used the word “ripe”, not “rotten”. There is a big, big difference between the two.  A true agriculturist knows that.

But this is what I have learned from my Botany class way back in college: ripe fruit leaves the branch.

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(Photo: Vice-Governor Peter de Jesus Alfaro huddles with San Jose (Occidental Mindoro) IPMR to the Sangguniang Bayan Ding “Talon” de Jesus from the former’s FB page.)