Central and southern Philippines: A beautiful woman executive gave up a management job in Manila, followed the footsteps of her politician father who was assassinated by a rival 18 years ago, and ran for a congressional seat in yesterday's polls, adding this would allow her to dream of the metamorphosis of Masbate, her poor hometown in central Philippines.
"I want to serve the people of Masbate. I want changes in my province," said Maloli Espinosa, 47, a former top-level media executive of ABS CBN, a major network.
Despite the bloody politics of her hometown, Espinosa said she has "big dreams for Masbate".
Without giving details, she has assured her supporters that she means business, that her dream to make Masbate rise from the ashes of poverty would mean more development and the eventual modernisation of one of the country's poorest provinces.
First of all, she said, she would clean up traces of painful political rivalries. "How can a woman do this? With more development, forgiveness, and love of enemies, how else?" said a supporter.
In 1989, her father, Congressman Moises, was shot dead at the Masbate airport. In 1995, her uncle, Congressman Tito, was killed near Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City. In 2001, her brother, Moises Jr., was killed barely a month after he became mayor of Masbate City.
