CLARK FREEPORT – The mayor of Concepcion, Tarlac has warned of an impending dynasty after a falling out with the district’s representative in Congress.
Mayor Andres “Andy” Lacson of Concepcion, Tarlac said the province’s 3rd District Rep. Noel Villanueva now wants total control of the district especially Concepcion.
During the “Balitaan” media forum organized by the Capampangan in Media, Inc. in cooperation with the Clark Development Corp. at the Bale Balita here on Friday, Lacson said Villanueva has already created his own dynasty and wants to add his wife to the “empire” to attain total control.
Lacson said Villanueva’s elder brother Vernon is an incumbent provincial board member, his younger brother Antonio is municipal councilor, his nephew Ato Villanueva is a barangay captain, his eldest son is first councilman of Barangay Tinang and president of the First Councilman’s League and now to include his wife, whom he is now prepping to become mayor, which gives him total control of the district and the municipality.
But Lacson warned that in case Villanueva’s wife wins the elections, the mayor will not be her but him.
Lacson said he was surprised when Villanueva issued an open letter lambasting him which he posted on Facebook citing personal reasons against him among them “ala kung utang a lub, meragul ya buntuk, meyabang ne, ene makiramdam (no debt of gratitude, I’m swell headed, I’m boatsful, not listening to him anymore).”
Lacson said Villanueva also accused him of disloyalty to the party (Nationalist Peoples’ Coalition).
“But these are not true,” Lacson said.
In the last part of his open letter, Villanueva was campaigning for his wife Carmelita who is a plain housewife and by Villanueva’s own account, his wife has no experience and political background, Lacson said.
After he posted the open letter on FB, he spread out leaflets against me, Lacson said.
It seems that what is happening to me since last year was orchestrated by one man and all is politically motivated, the mayor said.
“But the people of Concepcion know me well. Since I was a kid, I was never involved in any wrongdoing. My life is an open book,” Lacson said.
This is our last terms, me as mayor and him as congressman, Lacson said.
“I believe they want to take a stranglehold of Concepcion because of the 2022 elections. Because by that time, we cannot run for reelection anymore,” he said.
“The only one who can replace him at this time is either Capas Mayor Rey Catacutan or me. Because If he will put up his elder brother, he won’t make it while his younger brother is a much weaker candidate,” Lacson said.
“If he will introduce his wife only in 2022, that will be a bit hard that is why he wanted his wife to come out now,” opined the mayor. “So that when his wife will run for congress in 2022, she had already experienced three years as mayor and in the next elections they will switch places again,” Lacson said.
The mayor said he and Villanueva have been allies since he first entered politics as SK chairman under the NPC party.
But now, Lacson said, he must find another party who will adopt him and luckily, he was adopted by the ruling PDP-Laban party.
