Pumped up. Crowd of supporters in Barangay Malabanias takes in every word of Vice Mayor Vicky Vega-Cabigting at a recent caucus. Photo by Bong Lacson
ANGELES CITY – They came in droves – men, women and even children from mostly if not entirely poor families at the basketball court of Barangay Malabanias here last Saturday.
It was only a barangay caucus of Team Agyu Tamu but already a fiesta like atmosphere permeated the jampacked basketball court.
Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan was the last to speak but the crowd of people remained as he enjoined the youth to get an education now that the City College has been established.
“Yan lang po ang lunas sa kahirapan (That’s the only cure for poverty),” Pamintuan said.
Earlier, Vice Mayor Vicky Vega-Cabigting pumped up the crowd with her charm.
Emcee Rochelle Aguilar introduced Alex Cauguiran next who lambasted Congressman Carmelo “Tarzan” Lazatin, Pamintuan’s rival, for not doing enough to uplift the lives of Angelenos in his 25 years of public service.
Cauguiran said in only three years of the Pamintuan administration since 2010, the mayor was able to achieve a lot to improve the lives of the people beginning with the establishment of the city college which provides free college education to the poor, the Ospital Ning Angeles which serviced thousands of patients and was modernized and now has the most number of dialysis machines in the country. The hospital also has a new wing under construction as well as a soon to be established Oncology Center.
Cauguiran underscored Congressman Lazatin’s advancing years who he said is now reduced to merely calling the people into his Jungle Base residence in the City of San Fernando unlike Pamintuan who is actively campaigning house-to-house in all the 34 barangays of the city.
But it was Team Agyu Tamu’s candidates for councilors that livened up the caucus with the patented robotic dancing of Pogz Suller, Dr. Taruc’s much applauded “gusto ko healthy kayo” slogan, the one liner of Dr. Ruben Maniago with his hoarse voice, the charm of the youthful Danica Lacson, and the good looks of Amos Rivera who was the darling of the crowd chanting “Ryan Agoncillo” in reference to his resemblance to the television personality.
Then came Edu Pamintuan, “Mr. In” Alex Indiongco and the popular Jericho Aguas who was of course serenaded by his equally popular celebrity wife, Isabel Granada to the delight of the crowd.
