Introducing Donkoy Emano

Then Tagoloan mayor Vicente Emano (center) Photo by Jong Cass

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

The first part of the series concerning Tagoloan town that was published a few days ago ended with me mentioning about former Tagoloan mayor and future Misamis Oriental governor and Cagayan de Oro City mayor Vicente “Donkoy” Emano.

Tagoloanons were proud of Donkoy Emano and how he went quite far in his political career. In Tagoloan town alone when he was governor I think anyone in the opposition was considered an outcast.

He was considered a demi-god and what he says was correct. His counsel and advice were sought after, even those that involve family affairs. People crowd him- there is no doubt he is charismatic that time.

When he was Tagoloan mayor those accused of rape or domestic violence were presented to him first before the court. The police would bring the accused before his office and there was was talk among the people there that he has this “whip.”

I don’t know if it was true as it came from conversations of the people working above and below or in the second floor of his office at the municipal hall down to the first floor and out of the old municipal building.

The victim's family would be given aid like rice and noodles or cash and would be smiling when they went out from the office. Justice was equated with talking to Donkoy- what was promised I don’t know.

But as soon as the accused would appear in court for arraignment, many would plea guilty. Maybe the accused were already told about what plea to enter in court at the mayor's office.
This “whipping” was the talk of the town but many would attest to the truthfulness of the reports because they would hear cries emanating from the mayor's office in the afternoon.

There were also stories that after their courtesy call, those accused of crimes would leave the mayor's office with their faces colored pink and purple.

They said these people have been given the taste of the “little donkoy”, a whip that's supposedly used to hit horses and cattle in farms. At least that's how I remember the story from a surviving “bakero (cowboy)” who lived to talk the tales of the rich and landed Emano clain in Tagoloan town.

It was during this time that crime in Tagoloan town and even those under the Phividec area declined. Criminals would either disappear would just disappear or migrate to other towns and cities very far from Tagoloan.

Parents especially mothers would report the bad behavior of their sons and daughters to the mayor's office. Now I would think that the children were more afraid of mayor Emano than their parents. But it brought good results.

I was in Mississauga, Canada last year and I visited a distant relative and neighbor named Tirso Dagus. Tirso is the son of Benjamin Dagus and Gingging Valdehuesa who admitted to me that his life before was one of “alsa baso (lift glass).”

He recounted that his group was high on drinks that day at the plaza when mayor Donkoy was there and the mayor saw him and asked his name. To cut the story short, Donkoy advised him to be good and start a new life rather than haul him to his office for a whipping since he knew Tirso's father personally.

Tirso is now based in Canada and is making good in his choices in life. But there were also those who were unhappy with how mayor Emano deals with situations and would insist that their son was not guilty or innocent of the crime charged.

But very few would complain and if they do they would be the lone voice in the wilderness. For the aggrieved and the offenders it was a case of “who can report first to the mayor's office.”

I told you already that mayor Donkoy was surrounded with bodyguards. I can remember the Manto brothers, the Marianos also, Pastor Abejuela, Norris Babiera (who later became vice-governor of Misamis Oriental and became his own man after he severed his ties with the Emanos.)

Just a detour—former vice-governor Babiera is also in this story. The media people who's always in Emano's entourage would report on the goings on at the second floor of the town hall to anyone who cared to listen.

I was still working with the 6th Municipal Court at the time but I had a glance of media people who I would join years later. I forgot to mention the names of the late Gomer Bagondol and Rudy Ladao.

Mayor Emano organized a walking group among municipal employees and the national government employees once every week that would start at 4 am from the Municipal Hall to barangay Sta.Ana.

Me and the other court staff would join them. That was my first up-close encounter with the mayor and he would crack jokes with us especially with Aaron Valmores who was a court interpreter from Balingasag town.

Emano is playful when in the mood and if one is lucky to be one of his favorites, he would usually threw anything at you--money, cigarettes or just anything so one is advised to always be on guard.

The Municipio or Municipal Hall would be crowded when the mayor is around. People would line up to see him for personal, business or other reasons. It is “mingaw” or deserted when he is in Manila or elsewhere since his staff would also be out someplace.

How his folksy attitude would manifest in his political career in the province and in Cagayan de Oro City I would discuss in the next article.

(Susan Palmes-Dennis is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines who worked as a nanny and is now employed as a sub-teacher and a part-time teacher assistant in one of the school systems in the Carolinas.
Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com and at http://www.blogher.com/myprofile/spdennis54. These and other articles also appear at http://www.sunstar.com.ph/author/2582/susan-palmes-dennis.

You can also connect with her through her email susanap.dennis@yahoo.com as well as her Pinterest account at http://www.pinterest.com/pin/41025046580074350/) and https://www.facebook.com/pages/Straight-from-the-Carolinas-/494156950678063)