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MBTI Benguet, La Trinidad (2026)

21/01/2026

IS TAGEL A POLITICAL WILDCARD?

It is unsettling. Strange even, that the political chatter refuses to die down.

Eight months have passed since the election ended. The results were proclaimed, offices filled, and yet the political chatter continues.

Instead of moving forward, certain quarters remain fixated on one name that continues to surface in almost every controversy. That name is Tagel.

In most elections, losing candidates gradually fade from public attention. Discourse shifts to governance, policy, and performance. But in Benguet, Tagel appears to be an exception. No other losing congressional candidate has remained the subject of sustained scrutiny, rumor, and repeated legal and political maneuvering long after the polls have closed.

This persistence is difficult to ignore.

From the moment Tagel filed his certificate of candidacy, legal pressure appeared to follow. A complaint affidavit allegedly filed with the Office of the Ombudsman circulated online even before any formal determination could be made. Regardless of its merits, it was widely shared and discussed as though it were already a settled judgment. What followed was public ridicule, name-calling, and trial by publicity, all preceding any finding by a competent authority.

As election day approached and Tagel’s name reportedly gained traction, a disqualification case was filed against him. The timing raised legitimate questions among observers. The implication appeared to be that if uncertainty existed over one candidacy, then uncertainty should extend to his as well.

It was widely believed that his winning opponent was aware of a pending disqualification issue filed against him and the possibility that proclamation might not immediately follow.

The move was widely perceived by some as strategic. This fueled speculation about alternative arrangements, including the possibility of a caretaker or an allied party list of the opponent stepping in should a vacancy arise.

To date, issues remain pending before the COMELEC en banc and the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal. These proceedings are not peripheral. They go to the heart of electoral validity and representation and remain unresolved.

Further complicating matters is that a complaint was filed after the election at the Office of the Ombudsman in Manila by an individual reportedly without any clear local connection to Benguet. While the law allows any citizen to file complaints, the fact that the complainant is from Manila has reinforced perceptions that sustained effort may be exerted to keep Tagel legally and politically constrained even after the official results were proclaimed.

Meanwhile, public discussion has turned to reports involving Congressman Eric Yap and possible legal consequences related to alleged corruption. Under existing law, however, a sitting congressman retains his seat unless he resigns, is removed through proper legal process, or is lawfully compelled to vacate office. Speculation alone does not create a vacancy.

What remains unspoken, but increasingly apparent to observers, is the underlying concern over succession. Some speculate that a caretaker or even a snap election might follow if a vacancy occurs.

However, pending cases before the COMELEC en banc and the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal must first be resolved, as these proceedings will determine whether a vacancy legally exists.

If the rulings favor Tagel, he could potentially be seated as congressman, making the outcome of these proceedings pivotal for Benguet’s representation. Such rulings could also raise questions about the validity of the opponent’s candidacy ab initio.

Any determinations would not be political opinions but legal conclusions grounded in evidence and law.

This perspective may be dismissed by some as overanalysis. But patterns deserve attention. When one individual continues to be dragged into unrelated issues long after an election has concluded, it suggests more than coincidence.

Public fixation is rarely sustained without cause.

And perhaps that is the quiet explanation behind it all. Tagel remains politically relevant not because of the office he holds, but because of the legal and institutional questions his case continues to represent.

If Tagel is not a threat and no longer a factor, the obsession with dragging his name into every issue shows there is more to it than they claim.

The persistence tells its own story.

25/12/2025

THE HIDDEN VICTORY

Even as the massive web of corruption involving Benguet continues to unfold, rabid supporters and blind fanatics cling to a tired refrain:
“Naabak lang manok yo, agdadael amo yo.”

Their stubborn clinging to this line only exposes their denial—they cannot confront the troubling truths surrounding their political patron and the controversies tied to him.

I have always been candid about one thing: I disliked Tagel when he ran for Vice-Governor.

At that time, I openly discouraged family and friends from supporting him. They still did. I respected their choice—but I did not support his political opponents either. It wasn’t politics. It was instinct. I simply did not like him.

When he later ran for Congress, I eventually supported him.
He lost.

After the elections, something stirred in me again. Anger. That familiar discomfort. The old feeling of distrust crept back, and with it came doubt. I began questioning him—not loudly, not publicly—but deeply, within myself.

During his thanksgiving and worship gathering, he said:
“Thy will be done.”

To him, it meant acceptance. Letting go. Moving on. Trusting that God had a better plan.

I believe that too. I believe God knows exactly what He is doing.

But at that time, I could not understand.
Or maybe—I simply did not want to.

Like many others, I wanted him to fight. I wanted him to question the alleged irregularities in the election, not brush them aside with spiritual resignation. Faith, for me, was never meant to replace action.

I wanted to tell him:
“Nasa Diyos ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa.”

Because what I saw was not just his loss—it was the pain and frustration of his supporters. People who believed. People who hoped. People who stood with him until the end.

And more than that, I felt deep pity for those who filed disqualification cases against his electoral opponent. I felt he abandoned them. That he turned his back on their sacrifices. That he was ungrateful.

I wanted to ask him why.
I wanted him to use his influence, his power, and his resources to support them.
He said, "No."

I stood there, caught between faith and doubt—between believing in God’s will and questioning human responsibility.

Then President Bongbong Marcos dropped the bombshell on the flood control scam.
And suddenly, clarity came.

I realized—some things do not end at the ballot box. Some battles are not meant to be fought by those who lose elections. Some truths need time, exposure, and forces far greater than any single individual.

What made it even more striking was that the revelations unfolding now point directly to the winning candidate in that election—whose victory once appeared unassailable, despite the petitions filed.

Now, with every revelation, every investigation, every crack in the façade of power, I understand.
Things truly do happen for a reason.

With all the chaos unfolding, with the dark side of public office laid bare, I am more than glad he lost the election. I am glad the petitions were not acted upon. Because what is happening now goes far beyond those cases.

This is no longer about electoral protests.
This is about accountability.
This is about corruption being dragged into the light.

I believe the fight of those petitioners did not die—it was merely passed on. Continued by those with the power, authority, and mandate to confront it head-on.

Justice has a longer route.
Truth has its own timing.
And the Higher Power works in ways no human strategy can match.

In the end, perhaps losing was not defeat.
Perhaps it was protection.
Perhaps it was purpose.

21/12/2025

So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom.
--Psalms 90:12

Our condolences to the family of Congressman Romeo Acop and members of Acop-Kidang Clan. Rest in Peace, Sir.🫡

“Saluting a good public servant whose life was defined by duty, discipline, and service to the people. May he be remembered for his integrity, commitment, and the quiet strength with which he fulfilled his responsibilities.”