Opposition party won’t let Pampanga capital slip away

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — The opposition Liberal Party (LP) will not give up on this Pampanga capital and has urged former Mayor Oscar Rodriguez to become its candidate, party officials said on Tuesday.

“We ask former mayor and congressman, Oca Rodriguez, to continue his leadership of this vibrant city and to reconsider his earlier decision not to run in the 2019 elections,” Quezon City Rep. Jose Christopher Belmonte, LP secretary general, said in a statement.

He said the “strong good governance advocacy in the city makes it an invaluable partner” of the LP.

Endorsement

The party endorsement of Rodriguez, 73, who last held the mayoral post in 2013, came after Sen. Francis Pangilinan, LP president, agreed to meet with civil society leaders in the city last week.

Belmonte did not suggest how Rodriguez could join the race after Oct. 17, the last day for filing of certificate of candidacy.

But before the deadline, the LP managed to register Eugene Diaz as its candidate against reelectionist Mayor Edwin Santiago and village chief, Vilma Caluag.

Call

Rodriguez could substitute for Diaz. Asked for comment, he said: “You cannot just ignore the call, given the prevailing culture of politics vis-a-vis the need to reemphasize transparency and good governance at least in the city where it was once upon a time the envy of many.”

“The only reason why I am still not there is my promise to my family to be with them, after almost 38 years of absence as I immersed myself in the service to our people,” Rodriguez said.

Nov. 19 is the deadline set by the Commission on Elections for substitution of candidates. —Tonette Orejas