By Modesto P. Sa-onoy
Although the charge against Cano “Guapo” Tan that he is a drug lord has been cleared with finality by law enforcement agencies, there remains the identity and motivations of his assailants.
Justice has been done for Cano in so far as the issue of his alleged link with the illegal drugs trade is concerned. Moreover, the former Bacolod councilor has moved on by taking out a millstone around his neck – he consigned to God the fitting penalty for those who dared to take out a human life.
But let’s discuss the other possibilities from an academic point of view.
The ambush of Cano came just before the 2019 local elections. He is among those talked about to challenge the perceived supremacy of Evelio Leonardia for the post of mayor of Bacolod. Cano had no plans then though I learned there were politicians courting him to lead the opposition.
Cano had been a consistent winner in local elections. He was the number one councilor of the city and if I recall right, he had more votes than Leonardia. That of course does not mean the same vote in a one-on-one confrontation, but that was a large chunk of Bacolod’s electorate who found him worthy of their trust.
The issue against the Leonardia administration is massive corruption, a reason that Cano left Leonardia’s Grupo Progreso. His action clearly indicates he does not belong to Leonardia’s cabal of consensual politicians who are believed to share in the fruits of corrupt practices.
Indeed, they ostracized Cano for not being a team player in their game. Leonardia was vengeful in this regard that he did not allocate any casual employees for the office of the first councilor. That shows his merciless attitude toward those who refuse to play his corrupt game. The others, team players, had their casual employees paid by the city. Cano had to pay his staff from his pocket.
The others who were close to the mayor, so close they did what the mayor wanted, did not only have city paid workers in their offices, but they had also other recommended city workers, some doing work, others none at all except insure that the political machinery is well oiled and functional. On-call, one might say, when need, like an army mobilized for battle.
This army of casuals and paid operators depend on the mayor for their incomes and even more. Nevertheless, their livelihood hangs on the mayor’s coattails.
Leonardia of course, is not alone in this hidden political wealth, other local officials are in it too, but Leonardia’s operation is so apparent many people are willing to support anybody who would oppose Leonardia. As one citizen told me, “anybody but Leonardia.”
No wonder that in the 2019 elections, former Bacolod councilor Jocelle Batapa-Sigue garnered 80,000 votes despite her late entry into the election, small campaign funds, a hardly organized political machinery and a small band of citizens using the social media because they had no money to fund the mainstream media, particularly the radio.
If I remember right Leonardia’s margin was only 55,000 votes, large by any measure but small in comparison to his opponent. It’s like a car outrunning a bicycle and the car driver boasting of his performance.
In a sense, Cano Tan posed a grave danger to Leonardia’s political career and therefore can be said to have a motive in preventing Cano from running against him. This does not mean that Leonardia had masterminded the ambush. Far from it, but rather to merely consider all possibilities that some misguided souls might have been tempted to take Cano out.
Leonardia might be a sleek and shrewd political operator but he would not tarnish his hands or dirty his soul with such a dastardly act. But, what of others?
Be that as it may, the ambush remains an unsolved crime. Cano has seemingly resigned to that reality and in fact, he declared during the press conference that he has no political plans. That should calm nerves down. As it stands, Leonardia’s camp is already facing a tremendous political force that cannot be ignored or taken lightly.
Former Congressman Alfredo Benitez is apparently calibrating his moves, ignoring the abusive language from Leonardia’s camp.
Continued tomorrow.
