Fr. Jun Evasco: political genius

Father Jun is Leoncio Evasco Jr., former mayor of Maribojoc, Bohol, who first hit the headlines in 2013 when he took a brave stand against the Red Cross’s attempt to muddle up the distribution system for relief goods in his then earthquake-ravaged town.

He is also the Cabinet secretary in the administration of President Duterte for whom Evasco once served as Davao City administrator.

He grew up in Bohol, was ordained a priest in 1970, and was assigned to the parishes of Baclayon, Dauis and Catigbin.

The public is being gradually introduced to this soft-spoken but feisty grassroots community leader.

Not much is known about him at the moment, except that he was a priest-turned-rebel who fought the Marcos administration and was locked up in military stockades twice.

Despite the scanty information about him, Father Jun appears set to become a national legend.

His reputation is now that of a political genius that designed and inspired the campaign that brought Mr, Duterte to Malacañang despite overwhelming odds.

Father Jun created an irreversible momentum of public adulation for the President that crushed the vaunted popularity of erstwhile front-liners Vice President Jojo Binay and Sen. Grace Poe, and the powerful machinery that supposedly backed the unfortunate bid of former Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas.

Father Jun reportedly predicted the exact point in the campaign during which his candidate would peak and eventually overtake the pack.

He was reportedly very accurate in his prediction.

Analysts are still trying to decipher the political genius of Father Jun.

Some are quick to point out that the genius is the product of his involvement in the underground movement.

He was a propagandist for the Left, some analysts say. The exposure to such activity supposedly gave the erstwhile rebel-priest a first-hand view of what works and what does not as far as communicating with the ordinary Filipino at the grassroots level is concerned.

Others say the political genius is the product of his seminary upbringing. Father Jun is a product of the San Carlos Major Seminary of Cebu City.

He was supposedly trained to listen to people and to listen keenly and with much empathy for their plight.

That ability to listen and understand with the ears of a Christian missionary may have imbued Father Jun with the missionary’s sense of what inspires people to follow a messiah.

Regardless of where the political genius of Father Jun had come from, the fact remains that he is the main architect of Mr. Duterte’s presidential campaign.

That credit belongs to Father Jun and should not be taken away from him.

He had designed and carried out a political campaign that will be talked for many years and which should land in the books for future political gurus to learn from.

This fact should be underscored now, especially amid reports that certain publicists now want to be acknowledged as the persons responsible for President Rody’s memorable win.

Observers say Father Jun would not be one to publicly claim credit for a magnificent feat.

In contrast, these shadowy characters appear to be ready to grab credit for something that does not belong to them.

At the end of the day, the other person who should be credited for that remarkable win is the President himself.

He knew exactly what the ordinary Filipino is looking for.

He had a clear understanding of the anger seething in their hearts against a leadership that has looked down on them with the condescension of a typical hacendero.

In the many curses and invectives that characterize his daily language, the President gave many Filipinos a voice with which to express their own disgust over what appears to be the indifference of the administration of former President Noynoy Aquino concerning their plight.

Father Jun understands the power of the collective anger among Filipinos at the grassroots. He was part of that anger.

It was that anger that pushed him to the mountains and resort to the power of the gun and of propaganda.

We believe Father Jun’s presence at the Palace would serve as a reminder of that collective anger which the Duterte presidency hopes to assuage and address.