The congressman in the first district of Quezon, Rep. Mark Enverga, has been named as caretaker of the first district of Valenzuela City in Metro Manila.
This, after Valenzuela City 1st District Rep. Rex Gatchalian was appointed by President Bongbong Marcos as secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
The office of Quezon Gov. Dra. Angelina "Helen" Tan was happy on this development, even congratulating Enverga for his new role as representative, too, of an even bigger constituency in Valenzuela.
The Quezon Provincial Government said:
"Congratulations, Cong. Mark Enverga.
Dahil sa kanyang husay at galing bilang mambabatas ng unang distrito ng lalawigan ng Quezon, pinagkatiwalaan siya bilang tagapamahala ng unang distrito ng lungsod ng Valenzuela.
"Matatandaang itinalaga ni Pang. Bongbong Marcos si Valenzuela City 1st District Cong. Rex Gatchalian bilang bagong kalihim ng Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Isang pagpupugay sa hindi matatawarang paglilingkod mo sa iyong mga ka-distrito at sa ating mga kalalawigan.
"Ang Pamahalaang Panlalawigan ng Quezon ay nagbubunyi sa iyong tagumpay."
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From the highest point in our perch here in Calumpang, where we have a good view of Lucena and Tayabas Bay, we somehow see something amiss in this congratulatory message from the Kapitolyo to the congressman of our district--aside from Calumpang in Tayabas, we are based in our farm in Llavac, Real.
We note that Governor Helen and Congressman Mark had been friends and colleagues in the House of Representatives, and share even the same party membership in the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC). Must be one of the reasons for the congratulatory note.
Our take is that Speaker Martin Romualdez followed the tradition of picking a partymate to act as caretaker of a congressional district that has been vacated for any other reason.
Rep. Rex Gatchalian and all his brothers and relatives are leaders of the NPC, and was just expected for Romualdez to choose another serious NPC congressman to replace him, of course with Cong. Rex's endorsement. And that is Mark Enverga of Quezon. He got the job in Valenzuela not because he was in the right place at the right time. Let us not kid ourselves that he was doing an exemplary job in Congress.
Remember that on the week he was chosen to represent Valenzuela, his House Agriculture Committee had a hearing on onions and other agricultural products that are being smuggled, in short supply, and had very high prices. His resource persons from the executive branch were either low-ranking officials, did not have the data to share, etc. and were in fact showing that they can dance around Enverga.
What we need in that committee is a strong-arm leadership that demands results and evokes fear from smugglers and other hoodlums.