The first local election after the declaration of Martial Law was held in January 1980. As in previous political exercises, I was involved in active monitoring, actually a euphemism for electioneering since the special operation included my massaging the barangay officials to campaign for the administration candidates, and my presence in the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan “war” room for P&E meetings. Unfortunately, the opposition candidates led by the charismatic Absalon Catarata routed the KBL candidates. Months earlier, Catarata was replaced as the town mayor under the standby power of the President to remove local officials, bolstering his underdog image. The result did not bode well for me so I requested Roy Adan, the municipal engineer who happened to be a close friend back in Don Carlos, to arrange for my meeting with the mayor-elect. There was a victory party going on at his house and my emissary was told that I can see him at the Golden Restaurant. The venue was only a walking distance from my office at the ABC Hall but to my surprise he was already there when I arrived, seated alone at a corner table. In my work, one must be keen on people’s behaviors and idiosyncrasies so his punctuality was tucked in my mind as a frame of reference.
“I will not justify myself,” I told the mayor-elect after paying my courtesy and compliment. “In fact I would personally volunteer for reassignment if you so desire.”
“You know, Mr. Sumagang, or can I call you Eme?” He looked at me in the eyes, his face unsmiling but not intimidating. “It is Martial Law and your replacement will be no different. So I would rather choose that you stay. At least we are familiar with each other.”
His decision was borne out of logic rather than vindictiveness. His partymates in the Mindanao Alliance was quite surprised if not unhappy of what happened but I didn’t mind. The mayor was with me and sooner or later, them too. That decision turned out to be good both for me and the mayor. My career blossomed and Valencia was repeatedly adjudged the most outstanding town in the province and Catarata, as outstanding mayor.
