Tayag said the group is composed of “independent- minded and elected independent municipal councilors.” “Our main intention is to unify all independent and independent- minded, progressive and principled leaders for us to become a potent and a strong political group. We will be an alternative voice of the people of Tarlac”, said Tayag.
Tayag who was elected chairman of Tama ad-hoc committee also disclosed his group’s plan to “organize province- wide and to register as a local political party”.
Records from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) indicated that in the 2013 elections in Tarlac, 17 councilors won as independent candidates from among the 86 independent councilor-candidates.
Two mayors and two vice mayors also won as independents.
Councilor Ricardo Vengco of Moncada town said, “independent councilors, being minorities in their own towns, have been for a long time marginalized by the dominant party.”
“Our special programs are not supported and as a consequence our constituents suffer. But with our bonding together, we will have a bargaining power,” he noted.
Tarlac politics has been dominated by the NPC founded in 1991 by business tycoon Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco Jr. Among the current NPC members are Gov. Victor Yap, Vice Gov. Enrique Cojuangco Jr, seven of the 10 provincial board members, 15 among the 18 mayors and around two thirds of municipal councilors.
NPC membership also included 2nd District Rep. Susan Yap Sulit and the late Cong. Henry Cojuangco of the 1st District.
Vengco noted he was elected as No. 1 councilor in 2010 and No. 2 in 2013 despite being an independent candidate in Moncada which is known as an NPC bailiwick.
Despite Tarlac being the home province of Pres. Aquino, his Liberal Party (LP) has only one elected mayor in Sta. Ignacia, two vice mayors, 18 of the of province’s 164 elected councilors and only two provincial board members.
Pura town councilor and former vice mayor Tim Balmores lamented that “most of us are poor politicians because we fight for our principles. Yet, we have our solid followers so we win in elections despite being without any party.”
Nepthalie Gonzales, former councilor of Sta. Ignacia and former Association of Barangay Chairmen (ABC) president of his town, said that the independent politicians now want to organize themselves into a force under Tama.
Tayag bared plans to establish chapters in all the three congressional districts of Tarlac and to swear in members in all the 510 barangays.
“We organized ourselves to make the people and the leaders in the national level to realize that there is now a reliable alternative political group which represents the true spirit of the Tarlaquenos. As a political bloc we shall choose and collectively support national and local candidates.” he said.
