CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – If the party affiliations of winners in the mayoral race in this province were to be a parameter, then Pampanga has remained GMA (Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo) country.
Figures from the Commission on Elections indicated that of 19 towns and three cities, 12 mayoral candidates from the local party Kapanalig at Kambilan Memalen Pampanga (Kambilan) won.
The Kambilan is closely associated with Mrs. Arroyo. For last Monday’s elections, the party absorbed most of Mrs. Arroyo’s close political allies. The party is headed by her close friend, incumbent Gov. Lilia Pineda who won by landslide over rival Eddie Panlilio of the Liberal Party.
Only four from Pres. Aquino’s LP made it in the mayoral race. Two were from the Nationalist People’s Coalition, two were independents, one is from the Nacionalista Party, and another from the local party Partido Abe Kapampangan (ABE).
Mrs. Arroyo, who sought re-election under the Lakas party as congresswoman in the second district, was also expected to win by landslide over LP’s Vivian Dabu.
During her term as president, Pampanga was dubbed as GMA country as she hailed from Lubao town in the second district which she represents in the lower house. The former president is known to have poured huge government funds for various projects in Pampanga during her presidency.
Some of the mayoral candidates have already been proclaimed as winners, while others are statistically sure of winning based on their wide margin of votes over their closest rivals.
The Kambilan party mayoral winners were Jun Tetangco of Apalit, Eddie Guerrero of Floridablanca, Mylyn Cayabyab of Lubao, Marino Morales of Mabalacat City, Anette Balgan of Macabebe, Romy Pecson of Magalang, Carling de la Cruz of Porac, Asiong Macapagal of San Luis, Rommel Concepcion of Sta. Ana, Yolly Pineda of Sta. Rita, Lito Naguit of Sto. Tomas, and Leonora Wong of San Simon.
Four of them were unopposed, including Cayabyab, Balgan, Tetangco, and De la Cruz.
The LP winners were Edwin Santiago of the City of San Fernando, Dan Guinto of Masantol, Dante Torres of Guagua, and Bon Alejandrino of Arayat.
Santiago, however, was also endorsed by the Kambilan party.
Angeles City Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan, who was re-elected, belongs to ABE, which is also closely associated with Kambilan.
The other mayoral candidates who won were independent candidates Rene Maglanque of Candaba and Jomar Hizon of Bacolor, NPC’s Edgar Flores of Minalin and Nardo Velasco of Sasmuan and Nacionalista Party’s Rey Manalastas of Mexico.
