TEDDY P. MOLINA: FilAm lawyer joins Milpitas City Council
It is with great pride that this columnist received the news that our compatriot lawyer GARRY BARBADILLO got elected back to his old post as Councilman or Member of the City Council in the City of Milpitas in California.
Our always ahead of the pack Editor-in- chief Fred Gabot was the first to break outthe news to me last week.
And so when he texted me about Garry’s victory, I kind of jumped with joy, happy over the outcome of the hotly contested council race where a fellow Ilocano from Bangued, Abra captured one of two Council seats that was up for grabs in the recent elections.
I’m not sure how many of Milpitas’ big block of FilAms voted despite erstwhile and repeated appeals including mine for them to cast their ballots. I have yet to check on that.
But I have heard complaints from former Milpitas six- term FilAm Mayor Jose Esteves that their voting presence had been pretty bad.
It’s as if they have developed what’s natively said as “walang paki” attitude or “walang pakialam.”
I hope that behavior has reversed in Milpitas and nationally especially where Pinoys converge in big numbers.
There are, of course, other places like in the state of Hawaii, where Pinoys dictate, more often than not, the results of the elections.
Hawaiian Pinoys know how to flex their muscles, politically, by uniting and voting as a block during elections.
Thus, we have Pinoys in the Hawaii State Senate and the State Assembly for years now. The last election in Hawaii was likewise impressive for Filipinos as per report of lawyer Emmanuel Tipon, our fellow Philippine News Today columnist.
Going back to Milpitas, another Filipino, Evelyn Q. Chua, is also in the City Council. Our editor in chief who is her high school classmate back in Manila is proud of her achievements.
The FilAms, thus, have potential candidate for mayor in the coming elections, in Garry Barbadillo or Evelyn Chua, if they so desire and Pinoys will rally behind them like Mayor Esteves in the past.
Congratulations!
