CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – “I offer myself and my unblemished public service record to the intelligent voters of San Fernando. I believe they will choose candidates who have proven themselves not just as politicians but as sincere and honest public servants.”
Thus three-term Councilor Jimmy Lazatin declared his entry in the city’s vice mayoralty race in 2013.
To run as independent candidate, Lazatin said he would not “bother” with any of the presumptive mayoralty aspirants – sitting Vice Mayor Edwin Santiago and former congressman and former mayor Dr. Reynaldo Aquino.
Santiago has taken in Councilor Renato Agustin as running-mate while Aquino has not made public his choice.
For “the longest while” a Santiago-Lazatin tandem has been bruited about with no less than Mayor Oscar S. Rodriguez publicly hailing the ticket as “best for the city.”
“Don’t look elsewhere, there’s Edwin and Jimmy,” so was Rodriguez heard on many public assemblies at city hall, including flag ceremonies.
With education as his advocacy, Lazatin assumed key roles in the passage of legislations establishing integrated schools in the city and the creation of the City College.
Lazatin was likewise instrumental in the passage of the city’s Children Welfare Code, Environment Code and Investment Incentive Code.
In his capacity as private citizen, Lazatin helped in providing desks, tables and chairs and supplies especially to elementary schools in the city’s poorer areas.
Recently, Lazatin filed a resolution supporting Senate Bill 2578 that aims to give a monthly allowance of P1,000 to barangay policemen in the country.
The bill recognizes the vital role of the village cops – also known as tanods – in the maintenance of peace and order in the communities.
Even as he withholds support to any candidate for city mayor, Lazatin said he would “carry” council aspirants, including re-electionists from both the Santiago and Aquino tickets.
With the proviso that his chosen councilors would be “worthy of the people’s trust.”
