Zamboanga City - Call them loyalists or whatever, this motley group of politicians are vigorously moving heaven and earth to entice businessman Lepeng Wee to throw his hat into this coming political contest.

Knowing him very well, I would bet that these guys, whose motives we all very well know, would never convince Lepeng.

Time and again Lepeng has publicly declared that he is through with politics and wants to live a simple life and help others in his own way.

I recall almost three years ago, a close friend and emissary of the First Gentleman came over to the city and talked to me on the possibility of convincing Lepeng to run again for city mayor in this coming 2007 election.

We met four times and on the fifth occasion, I told Burt that I can’t convince him to run again and that it would be better for him to talk personally to Lepeng. So I brought him to the latter’s residence.

Despite all the assurances of full support by the administration and early preparations, Lepeng turned down the offer and told by visiting emissary that he is through with politics.

I also recall meeting the late Joey Rufino, the then LAKAS Party Secretary, and we also talked about the possibility of convincing Lepeng to run under their party against Mayor Celso in this coming 2007 elections. We met for a second time at the Manila Pen coffee shop and told Joey that chances of convincing him to run would be bigger if he discusses this matter with him personally.

I don’t know if they have indeed met and talked. Joey is now in the great beyond.

Will Lepeng be convinced to run this time around by this bunch of alleged loyalists?

Unfortunately for them, Lepeng is a man of honor and does not speak with forked tongue, especially on this particular issue. He declared it many times before and up to now his answer to this entreaty is still the same—no way! That’s palabra de honor and these enticers can’t understand his simple language.

Winning a political contest needs extensive planning and preparation. Victory, which is the be-all and end-all of any political contest, can’t be achieved by making hasty, snap-of-the fingers decisions. These guys know this very well.

Last Saturday, they again corralled Lepeng at the Inland Resort Hotel in Boalan. But just the same, no positive answer was given them.

Well, as the saying goes, if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again because only fools don’t change their minds.

But many observers are asking: Why doesn’t Lepeng tell these guys straight to their faces to stop all their foolishness?

Well, if I know him very well, Lepeng is one guy who doesn’t want to hurt the sensibilities of his close political friends and supporters. Unfortunately they can’t read him between the lines and interpret his body language.

Amidst all this hoopla, now being exploited by Mayor Celso and his spinners, opposition mayoralty aspirant Monsi Cris is not at all worried of the formation of a “third force” that will split and affect the winning chances of the opposition in the city. He knows very well that his compadre Lepeng is a man of honor and will never renege on his promise to support his candidacy.

Any bet?

(Daily Zamboanga Times)