So much can be said of the merger of Lakas and Kampi last week.
Kesyo, the formal marriage of the two administration parties is a solid signal of the unity of political forces loyal to President Arroyo and of their impending sweep of the upcoming 2010 elections. Katal, nothing much has changed even with a hybrid Lakas-Kampi CMD party since they’ve been living in sin together for so long now anyway and if the results of the 2007 senatorial race tell us anything it is that an endorsement by the ruling administration would still very much amount to a kiss of death.
Kesyo, the on-going realignment of political forces which was no less instigated by President Arroyo and coupled with sincere vows of an early draft of a common 2010 presidential candidate must once and for all calm the nerves of the opposition wary of a no-election-scenario. Katal, a Lakas-Kampi union now only points to a different albeit difficult route President Arroyo is taking to perpetuate herself in power which may consist of a strong political party still loyal to her when she begins her new term as an elected congresswoman from Pampanga followed by a shift to a parliamentary form of government and her rise as the new Prime Minister.
Kesyo, katal.
But what would be the impact of last week’s merger of Lakas and Kampi to the political landscape here in Pampanga? Who among the Lakas mainstays and Kampi stalwarts in the province benefits from the union of the two dominant political parties? Who loses out in the end as political realignments become as inevitable as the sun’s rise in the east?
This much is clear: While the newly-merged administration party already has a pretty clear idea how to go about selecting and fielding a unified slate for national posts, it remains ugly unclear how it would deal with local Lakas and Kampi members squabbling over the same elective positions in the provinces.
This ticklish situation is especially true around here, right at the home turf of President Arroyo. Pampanga is where the Lakas-Kampi marriage will be tested whether it’ll last through thick or thin, for richer or poorer, and in sickness or in health, till death at the polls sets them apart.
And if the 2007 gubernatorial election offers any lesson it is that a similar scenario of a head-on collision between two strong candidates from Lakas and Kampi may once more lead to an upset victory of a third candidate in the person of, or in the mold of another, Among Ed Panlilio.
I said it before, I say it again: Walang himala sa pagkapanalo ni Among Ed Panlilio noon. Iyon ay isang pangkaraniwang suma-tutal matapos makatay ng tatlong beses ang kabuuang boto sa pagka-gobernador noong eleksyon.
Consider their official vote tallies vis-à-vis actual votes cast for governor in 2007: Independent Ed Panlilio got 219,706 votes or 33.85% of votes cast. Kampi’s Lilia Pineda got 218,559 or 33.67%. And Lakas’ Mark Lapid had 210,875 or 32.48%.
As they say, numbers just don’t lie.
The numbers in Pampanga, by the way, say it isn’t anything other than the divided dominion of Lakas and Kampi. Take for instance the number of incumbent local elected officials belonging to these political camps.
Out of the present ten provincial Board Members, five are from Kampi (Tars Halili, Catalina Bagasina, Art Salalila, Karl Domingo and JQ Quiambao) and three are from Lakas (Cris Garbo, Pinong Laus and Nelson Calara). Two holdouts came from the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), namely Edna David and Ric Yabut.
Pampanga’s four congressional districts are represented by three Lakas members (Tarzan Lazatin, Mikey Arroyo, and Dong Gonzales) and one NPC (Anna York Bondoc).
Now, the province has two cities and twenty municipalities. The capital city, the City of San Fernando, is under the stewardship of a Lakas party member, Oca Rodriguez. Angeles City, on the other hand, has been tainted blue under NPC’s Francis Nepomuceno.
There are nine municipal mayors belonging to Lakas. These are Jun Tetangco of Apalit, Eddie Guerrero of Floridablanca, Boking Morales of Mabalacat, Bobong Flores of Macabebe, Romy Pecson of Magalang, Peter Flores of Masantol, Edgar Flores of Minalin, Roger Santos of Porac, and Lito Naguit of Santo Tomas.
On the other hand, Kampi also counts nine members among the incumbent municipal mayors, namely Luis Espino of Arayat, Buddy Dungca of Bacolor, Jerry Pelayo of Candaba, Ric Rivera of Guagua, Dennis Pineda of Lubao, Teddy Tumang of Mexico, Digos Canlas of San Simon, Rommel Concepcion of Santa Ana, and Yolly Pineda of Santa Rita.
Of the two remaining municipal mayors, Jay Sagum of San Luis lists himself as an NP party member, while Nardo Velasco of Sasmuan is recorded as belonging to NPC.
When it comes to Vice Mayors, there are eleven who were elected under the Lakas banner, eight under Kampi, one under NPC, one under the Liberal Party, and one who says he is without any party affiliation.
Lastly, the pie of the total number of elected local legislators in the province, is divided this way, party-wise: Kampi has seventy three, Lakas has fifty six, NPC with thirteen, Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino with eight, Buklod Kapampangan with seven, NP with six, LP with three, plus eight independents.
Scout’s Honor now: Out of these one hundred and eighty city and municipal councilors in this tocino-eating province, only one name comes soberly into mind: Honorable Jesus Sangil of Angeles City.
Tagay mu ne, ‘pre.
Kesyo, the formal marriage of the two administration parties is a solid signal of the unity of political forces loyal to President Arroyo and of their impending sweep of the upcoming 2010 elections. Katal, nothing much has changed even with a hybrid Lakas-Kampi CMD party since they’ve been living in sin together for so long now anyway and if the results of the 2007 senatorial race tell us anything it is that an endorsement by the ruling administration would still very much amount to a kiss of death.
Kesyo, the on-going realignment of political forces which was no less instigated by President Arroyo and coupled with sincere vows of an early draft of a common 2010 presidential candidate must once and for all calm the nerves of the opposition wary of a no-election-scenario. Katal, a Lakas-Kampi union now only points to a different albeit difficult route President Arroyo is taking to perpetuate herself in power which may consist of a strong political party still loyal to her when she begins her new term as an elected congresswoman from Pampanga followed by a shift to a parliamentary form of government and her rise as the new Prime Minister.
Kesyo, katal.
But what would be the impact of last week’s merger of Lakas and Kampi to the political landscape here in Pampanga? Who among the Lakas mainstays and Kampi stalwarts in the province benefits from the union of the two dominant political parties? Who loses out in the end as political realignments become as inevitable as the sun’s rise in the east?
This much is clear: While the newly-merged administration party already has a pretty clear idea how to go about selecting and fielding a unified slate for national posts, it remains ugly unclear how it would deal with local Lakas and Kampi members squabbling over the same elective positions in the provinces.
This ticklish situation is especially true around here, right at the home turf of President Arroyo. Pampanga is where the Lakas-Kampi marriage will be tested whether it’ll last through thick or thin, for richer or poorer, and in sickness or in health, till death at the polls sets them apart.
And if the 2007 gubernatorial election offers any lesson it is that a similar scenario of a head-on collision between two strong candidates from Lakas and Kampi may once more lead to an upset victory of a third candidate in the person of, or in the mold of another, Among Ed Panlilio.
I said it before, I say it again: Walang himala sa pagkapanalo ni Among Ed Panlilio noon. Iyon ay isang pangkaraniwang suma-tutal matapos makatay ng tatlong beses ang kabuuang boto sa pagka-gobernador noong eleksyon.
Consider their official vote tallies vis-à-vis actual votes cast for governor in 2007: Independent Ed Panlilio got 219,706 votes or 33.85% of votes cast. Kampi’s Lilia Pineda got 218,559 or 33.67%. And Lakas’ Mark Lapid had 210,875 or 32.48%.
As they say, numbers just don’t lie.
The numbers in Pampanga, by the way, say it isn’t anything other than the divided dominion of Lakas and Kampi. Take for instance the number of incumbent local elected officials belonging to these political camps.
Out of the present ten provincial Board Members, five are from Kampi (Tars Halili, Catalina Bagasina, Art Salalila, Karl Domingo and JQ Quiambao) and three are from Lakas (Cris Garbo, Pinong Laus and Nelson Calara). Two holdouts came from the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), namely Edna David and Ric Yabut.
Pampanga’s four congressional districts are represented by three Lakas members (Tarzan Lazatin, Mikey Arroyo, and Dong Gonzales) and one NPC (Anna York Bondoc).
Now, the province has two cities and twenty municipalities. The capital city, the City of San Fernando, is under the stewardship of a Lakas party member, Oca Rodriguez. Angeles City, on the other hand, has been tainted blue under NPC’s Francis Nepomuceno.
There are nine municipal mayors belonging to Lakas. These are Jun Tetangco of Apalit, Eddie Guerrero of Floridablanca, Boking Morales of Mabalacat, Bobong Flores of Macabebe, Romy Pecson of Magalang, Peter Flores of Masantol, Edgar Flores of Minalin, Roger Santos of Porac, and Lito Naguit of Santo Tomas.
On the other hand, Kampi also counts nine members among the incumbent municipal mayors, namely Luis Espino of Arayat, Buddy Dungca of Bacolor, Jerry Pelayo of Candaba, Ric Rivera of Guagua, Dennis Pineda of Lubao, Teddy Tumang of Mexico, Digos Canlas of San Simon, Rommel Concepcion of Santa Ana, and Yolly Pineda of Santa Rita.
Of the two remaining municipal mayors, Jay Sagum of San Luis lists himself as an NP party member, while Nardo Velasco of Sasmuan is recorded as belonging to NPC.
When it comes to Vice Mayors, there are eleven who were elected under the Lakas banner, eight under Kampi, one under NPC, one under the Liberal Party, and one who says he is without any party affiliation.
Lastly, the pie of the total number of elected local legislators in the province, is divided this way, party-wise: Kampi has seventy three, Lakas has fifty six, NPC with thirteen, Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino with eight, Buklod Kapampangan with seven, NP with six, LP with three, plus eight independents.
Scout’s Honor now: Out of these one hundred and eighty city and municipal councilors in this tocino-eating province, only one name comes soberly into mind: Honorable Jesus Sangil of Angeles City.
Tagay mu ne, ‘pre.
