MAGALANG, Pampanga — Sectoral groups in the 1st District of Pampanga have expressed their support for the candidacy of Angeles City Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr. for a seat in the House of Representatives.
Some 600 officers of sectoral groups from Angeles City, Mabalacat City, and this municipality, including women, persons with disability, LGBTQ, farmers, public transport groups, Muslim community, indigenous peoples, senior citizens, and solo parents, have made their intent to attend Lazatin’s declaration of candidacy on June 28 at the Magalang Plaza here to show their “all-out support for Pogi.”
Juvilan Paras, founder of One United LGBTQ of Angeles City, declared their organization’s support for Lazatin.
“One United LGBTQ of Angeles City is for Team Lazatin,” said Paras in a social media post, “Naniniwala ang aming organization na ang tunay na kulay ng puso at pagmamahal ay pula wala ng iba.”
Valerie Paguio, former Barangay Cutud secretary in Angeles City and member of the Tribu Organization also expressed her full support to Lazatin: “Siya talaga ay may tunay na pagmamahal sa atin.”
In a statement, the VAWC Desk Officers of Angeles City headed by Elvira Artesano also declared their support.
“We believe in the mission and vision of Mayor Lazatin for the welfare of women and children,” Artesano said. “We thank him for giving his full support to us and, in return, we pledge to give our full support on his next journey.”
Meanwhile, community leader Russel Ponce also declared that their organization is a “solid supporter” of Lazatin.
On June 4, 2024, Lazatin announced that he will officially declare his candidacy for Pampanga 1st District representative on what would have been the 90th birthday of his late father, former Pampanga 1st District representative and three-time Angeles City Mayor Carmelo “Tarzan” Lazatin.
Currently, Lazatin is serving his second term as Angeles City mayor and is set to deliver his fourth State of the City Address (SOCA) on June 24.
In his fourth SOCA, Lazatin is expected to highlight his accomplishments for the past five years at the helm of Angeles City — two years of which were spent during the Covid-19 pandemic when the city was cited by the Department of Interior and Local Government among 23 HUCs to first achieve ‘herd immunity’ against Covid-19.
Angeles City is also the first LGU to establish Ronda Bakuna, bringing Covid-19 vaccine to all Angeleño households, and the only LGU to establish Sundo Bakuna, deploying PUVs and Philippine Rabbit Buses to take residents to vaccine sites.
