APALIT, Pampanga – A first for the town used to be highly polarized in its mayoralty contests – no one rose to challenge the incumbent mayor.
For unopposed Mayor Oscar “Jun” Tetangco, Jr., the 2013 elections will be nothing more than a coronation.
Tetangco was first elected mayor in the hotly contested election of 2007, beating no-pushovers in Board Member Nestor Tolentino and Vice Mayor Paul Nabong.
His first attempt though, in 1998 was frustrated by the late Tirso Lacanilao who served as vice mayor to the Tetangco’s father.
The young Tetangco who served as the sangguniang kabataan federation president and sat as ex-officio member of the provincial board has since learned his politics, secured in the support of his constituencies that readily re-elected him in 2010.
As a first termer, Tetangco stood his ground against what he called the “unjust taxation” levied by the provincial government then headed by Gov. Eddie T. Panlilio on the scraping of silt and dredging of lahar deposits from rivers and farmlands.
It was also as a neophyte mayor that Tetangco cleansed his town of “moral filth,” closing down scores of videokes and other nightspots suspected as prostitution fronts.
A loyal ally of Gov. Lilia Pineda, Tetangco shared her advocacies of people’s health, education and livelihood.
A public community hospital in Apalit is now in the drawing board.
Through Tetangco’s initiative, a number of his constituents were able to avail themselves of PhilHealth insurance cards under the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction.
Tetangco also impacted himself in the anti-overloading campaign with his hands-on, on-the-ground monitoring and apprehension of violators of the law.
His “incessant lobbying” with the Department of Public Works and Highways facilitated the early completion of rehabilitation works at the Colgante Bridge which spans the principal road to Macabebe and Masantol towns.
“I am humbled with this total trust and confidence given me by the people. I can only maximize my efforts for their total well-being to repay them,” Tetangco said.
His running mate, incumbent Vice Mayor Pedro “Peter” Nucum is also running unopposed.
