Andaya backs Arroyo son’s reelection

LIBMANAN, Camarines Sur—Rep. Rolando “Nonoy” Andaya of the first district of Camarines Sur on Saturday endorsed the reelection bid of Rep. Diosdado “Dato” Arroyo in the province’s  second district before some 1500 officials of the 75 villages of this town gathered at a basketball gymnasium inside Arroyo’s 12-hectare property here.

Andaya, while now a member of the administration Liberal Party, declared anew his support for the erstwhile presidential son, noting that it was also him who had endorsed Arroyo to be his replacement in the former first district of Camarines Sur in the 2007 elections.

“I’ve told you that he (Arroyo) is as good as I am, if not better,” he told the crowd seated.

Andaya compared Arroyo to a “workhorse” who silently worked like a carabao and delivered results as against a “show horse” who, he said, “is all flair and form.”

He said Arroyo had been “doing good rather than looking good” but had been low profile even though he delivered projects in all the barangays in the second district.

Andaya’s double-meaning punch lines elicited laughter, as he was believed to be referring to last-term Gov. Luis Raymundo Villafuerte Jr., who had earlier declared he was going to run against Arroyo in the coming congressional race in the seven-town second district of Camarines Sur.

Andaya, who was a member of Lakas-Kampi CMD and has remained a staunch ally of former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, was once the representative of the old first district of Camarines Sur comprising the towns of Ragay, Del Gallego, Lupi, Sipocot, Cabusao, Libmanan, Milaor, Minalabac, Pamplona and San Fernando.

He was appointed in 2006 as budget secretary of Ms Arroyo. He stayed on as budget secretary until the start of election period of 2010, when he filed his candidacy for representative of the new first district of Camarines Sur that was created under Republic Act No. 9716.

Perception

The controversial RA 9716, perceived as accommodation for both Andaya and Arroyo, was signed into law on Oct. 26, 2006, by former President  Macapagal-Arroyo.

From 10 towns, Andaya’s area of jurisdiction was reduced to five towns which included his hometown Ragay and Del Gallego, Lupi, Sipocot and Cabusao at his coming back as representative of the new first district.

The new second district of Camarines Sur, in the second-term of Arroyo as representative, was also reduced to seven towns including Libmanan, Pasacao, Pamplona, San Fernando and Minalabac of the old first district with the addition of Milaor and Gainza which were taken from the old second district (now third district) of Camarines Sur under Rep. Luis R. Villafuerte Sr., father of the incumbent governor and main author of the bill that apportioned the two districts into three.