T-Mac the Reclaimer

SEVER BALIBAGO from Angeles City and EdPam’s metropolis devolves into a sitio. As the case will be with Mabalacat City, sans Dau. Forever Boking, notwithstanding.

For so long the subject of hushed trivial talks, the “non-issues” surfaced publicly last week – at least in the case of Balibago – instantly gaining credence and serious consideration.     

Guesting at the Talk Widus forum of the Pampanga Press Club on Wednesday, Balibago chief Rodelio “Tony” Mamac was hot-seated with our question, actually a speculation, of Balibago becoming its own municipality.

Quick though was the T-Mac’s response: While Balibago overqualifies in the requisites of town population – with 50,734 people daytime, nearly doubling weekend nights, and financial standing – over P23 million in general fund, it is sorely deficient in territory.

So did you know, the bemedalled-cop-turned-politician asked media, that Balibago lost large chunks of its territory as late as the mid-2000s, precisely “to preclude any ‘secession’ from the city in the event a future forward-thinking leader – like him, ahem – heads the vote-rich, resource-wealthy barangay”?  

Blaming what he called “bad politics or political patronage at the expense of the constituents,” Mamac claimed then-Mayor Carmelo “Tarzan” Lazatin and then-Balibago chair Noel Flores initiated the alteration and agreed to delineate the boundaries of Balibago at the by-then unutilized Philippine National Railway tracks to the west and receded to the now-boundary arch going to Sitio Adrian in the east. In the process ceding prime lands to Barangays Malabanias and Pulung Maragul.   

Consequent to the gerrymandering, Mamac said, Balibago lost the site of SM City Clark and the strip of hotels, restaurants, business establishments and residences as well as the Iglesia Ni Cristo chapel along the Clark perimeter road “up to the ruins of the Third Eye Disco.” Along with the subdivisions, restaurants and motels leading to city hall.

In a throwback to its American past, even Clark Air Base sported the postal address “Balibago, Angeles City, Philippines.” So Mamac said, to prove the validity of the “true” expanse of his barangay.

Short of denouncing the “partition of Balibago” as patently illegal, Mamac cited  the Local Government Code as mandating that the territory of a barangay cannot be altered without a city ordinance and a plebiscite in both barangays where the territory will be carved out and where it would ultimately rest.

“While there may have been an enabling ordinance, we are most certain that there was no plebiscite held in Balibago, in Pulung Maragul and in Malabanias, prior to the alteration of territory,” Mamac said. “Otherwise we would have most vehemently opposed it. What people, in their mind, would readily give up their land for nothing?”

Hence: “”We are now doing a diligent study on this, with the end in view of reclaiming our lost territories.”

Serendipitous to Mamac’s reclamation efforts is the unearthing – in the wake of the Capilion controversy – of Republic Act 9400, which the barangay chief, surprisingly, has not even heard of.

Invoking RA 9400, Councilor Max Sangil, a multi-term director of the Clark Development Corp., stated that the Capilion site by the entrance to Clark lies within the territory of Angeles City and therefore falls under its jurisdiction.

Citing the same law, the CDC said the Capilion site is within the freeport, and outside the 29.5 hectares RA 9400 stipulated as excluded from the freeport.

Whichever, Balibago stands to gain a windfall – in this case a landfall, literally – subject to the intensity and solidity of the political will of its leader and his constituents.      

Great balls of iron needed there. Easily found though in the insurgency-tried, crime-tested, battle-unfatigued T-Mac.

Yea, upsound Exodus now:

“…To make this land our home

If I must fight

I'll fight to make this land our own.
Until I die this land is mine!”

Go Mamac.