AFTER A LONG drought, Dabawenyos have at last a chance of having a “paisano” (comprovinciano) in the Philippine Senate. If former cabinet secretary Silvestre H. Bello III will win in the May 10 national election, he will be the first senator from the Davao Region, after a lull of more than 40 years.
The last Dabawenyo senators were the late Alejandro D. Almendras Sr. and Magnolia Antonino, widow, of the late popular senator Gaudencio “Gaudy” Antonino who died in a plane crash during election day in his 1967 reelection bid.
But Bello is not the only Dabawenyo currently running for a national office. Two others – broadcaster Jose “Jay” Sonza and lawyer Perfecto “Jun” Yasay Jr.. former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, who blew the whistle on his boss, ousted Presidenti Erap Estrada, are both gunning for the vice presidency no less.
Yasay is the running mate of Bangon Party presidential bet Eddie Villanueva, while Sonza is an independent bet. Both Yasay and Sonza lost in their previous bids for the senate.
Yasay studied in elementary in Davao City, where his father was a pastor of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines and his mother was a grade school teacher. Yasay finished secondary education at the Davao City High School, but took up his law degree at the Silliman University.
Sonza is a native of Bansalan, Davao del Sur, and graduated from college at the University of Mindanao in Davao City where he started his broadcasting career. He was station manager of UNTV immediately before filing his certificate of candidacy for vice president.
Bello served as private secretary of then Mayor Luis T. Santos and later made a name as human rights lawyer fighting the Martial Law regime of strongman President Ferdinand E. Marcos.
He later served as justice secretary under President Cory Aquino and President Fidel V. Ramos and in various other positions in the Cabinet of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, including a long stint as chief peace negotiator of the GRP (Government of the Republic of the Philippines) panel with the communist National Democratic Front).
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