Political landscaping

WHAT HAVE Cong. Yeng Guiao, Cong. Oca Rodriguez, Mayor Junjun Tetangco, BM Cris Garbo, and ex-Mayor Buddy Dungca have in common?

One, they all lost in the recent elections: in the 1^st, 3^rd, and 4^th congressional districts, in the Mabalacat City and the Bacolor mayorships (in the order as the names appeared above).

Two, and more telling, they all famously enjoyed the full support of Gov. Lilia G. Pineda, and all the political potency that unfailingly comes with it.

Still they lost.

Comes now the eureka moment of some armchair political sayang-tists crying: “Pampanga’s political landscape has changed!” Not the least implying the Pineda political monolith has irreparably cracked.

Changed? Duh! Cracked? Duh! Duh!

Lilia G. Pineda is governor, unopposed. Dennis “Delta” Pineda is vice-governor, unopposed. Mylyn Pineda-Cayabyab is Lubao mayor, unopposed. Dare anyone challenge any of them now?

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is 2^nd district congresswoman, unopposed. No matter expending her mandate in the hospital rather than in the House.

All three board members of the 2^nd district – Tonton Torres, Art Salalila, Jun Dimson – won unopposed under the Gov’s Kambilan banner.

All three board members of the 3^rd district – Dinan Labung, Rosve Henson and Junior Canlas – ran and won on the platform “Nanay’s Choice, Delta Boys.”

Of the two winning 1^st district BMs, one belongs to Kambilan – Cherry Manalo, the other – Benny Jocson (Ind), had the Pineda mom and son in his campaign posters.

So one of the two 4^th district BMs – Pol Balingit (NP) is dyed-in-the-whole Bondoc man. But the other – comebacking Nelson Calara (UNA), had had some konek with the Pinedas in his SP past.

What better proof of the permanence of the Pampanga political landscape than Mabalacat City Mayor Boking Morales? He, who has been mayor since 1995 and just re-elected to his second term – as city mayor – in 2016! A span of 21 long years there!

So it was the star-crossed Cris Garbo that the Pinedas supported! So it was Boking that had more – and bigger – tarpaulins with the Pinedas’ mugs beaming beatifically beside his.

Pigeonhole now Pampanga’s elected mayors. Bona fides in Kambilan: Mylyn in Lubao, Carling de la Cruz in Porac, Dagi Salalila in Sta. Rita, Nardo Velasco in Sasmuan, Anette Flores-Balgan in Macabebe, Edgar Flores in Minalin, Leonora Wong in San Simon, and the unopposed Asiong Macapagal in San Luis – eight in all.

With the Liberal Party – which as everyone knows aligned with the Gov for these polls: Bon Alejandrino in Arayat, Dan Guintu in Masantol, Teddy Tumang in Mexico, Norberto Gamboa in Sta. Ana, Dante Torres in Guagua and Edwin Santiago in the City of San Fernando – six.   

With the NPC, with VG Delta as chair of the provincial chapter: Peter Nucom in Apalit, Malu Paras-Lacson in Magalang – two.

All by his lonesome in Lakas: Darwin Manalansan in Floridablanca.

All alone too in Aksyon Demokratiko, but self-professed loyalty to the Pinedas: Boking in Mabalacat City.

Being first-time mayor and an independent candidate, Candaba’s Danilo Baylon we tag as stray chick, ready for the Pineda picking, and nurturing.

Only two mayors can really be considered out of the Pineda coop: Bacolor’s Jomar Hizon (LP) after a bitter war of attrition with Pineda protégé Buddy Dungca and Bondoc thoroughbred neophyte Mayor Johnny Sambo (NP) of Sto. Tomas.

Kambilan, NPC, LP, Lakas – multi-parties with multi-directions but spelled one way in Pampanga: P-I-N-E-D-A.       

A change in the political landscape? Duh! Duh! Duh!

More of the same too even in politics played as familial sport.

Mayor-father and councilor-son in Mabalacat City – Boking and Dwight, as well as in Angeles City – EdPam and Edu.

Brothers, the elder as congressman – Carmelo “Jonjon” Lazatin II; the younger as city councilor – Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin Jr.

Magalang Mayor Malu Pecson-Lacson is sister-in-law of her VM Norman Lacson.

More intramural than internecine is the elections in Macabebe with re-electionist Mayor Anette Flores-Balgan beating her brother former Mayor Bobong whose son Vince was re-elected vice mayor. Re-elected too as councilor is Balgan’s daughter Bembong.

Vice mayor brother – Dexter David, and councilor sister Fritzie victorious both in Porac.

Doble pusuy in Floridablanca with three-term Mayor Eddie Guerrero doing a Duterte – fielding his daughter Dr. Leck for his post and sliding to vice mayor, and miserably losing both.

Apalit’s Junjun Tetangco running for congressman and his wife Jen for vice mayor met similar disastrous results.

In Mabalacat City, Cris Garbo losing his mayoralty bid while daughter Win-Win proved his name right for the city council. 

Only one Sangil in the Angeles City council – comebacking Jay, his aspiring younger brother Teta and the re-electing Uncle Max falling by the wayside.

It’s strike three for the Lapids: the father Lito avalanched by EdPam in Angeles City; the son Mark, far off the Magic 12 in the Senate; and the brother Rey, missing the cut at Number 9 in the eight-man Porac sangguniang bayan, where the other son, Meynard though managed to land.   

Only the faces change. With the infrastructure in place, the landscape remains the same.