TARLAC CITY—Shape up or ship out.
The order may not be as harsh but the message comes clean and clear to members of the Liberal Party (LP) and the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) in Tarlac, President Benigno Aquino III’s home province.
With two of the most influential political leaders in the country as heads of these two political parties, the President and his uncle, businessman Eduardo Cojuangco Jr., respectively, wouldn’t an ordinary politician under their wings toe the line?
As of Friday night, an Inquirer source said provincial officials received marching orders from their “highest political leaders” to obey and respect the LP-NPC partnership in Tarlac.
The order, the source said, was to ensure that no LP candidate would face an NPC candidate and vice versa. In areas where strong contenders for a post come from these parties, like in Capas town, one needs to give way, the source said.
The final slate for the province was finalized on Friday in Malacañang, and the best manifestation that the order would be followed was the announcement made by former Capas Mayor Reynaldo Catacutan, LP’s third-district chair, that he would no longer run for mayor against incumbent Mayor Antonio Rodriguez Jr., an NPC member.
In Concepcion town, the three factions of LP decided to field a common slate in compliance with the order. The mayoral contenders agree to field Jay Castro, who lost in the 2010 mayoral elections, as mayoral candidate and councilor and LP municipal chair Joey Baluyut running as his vice mayor.
Free zones
In Tarlac City, the LP-NPC team will be led by former Mayor Genaro Mendoza with Councilor Ana Aguas as vice mayor against reelectionist Lakas candidates, Mayor Gelacio Manalang and Vice Mayor Miguel Tañedo.
Tañedo was with the LP in the last elections but failed to get the nod of the party for next year’s elections. Sources also said only two of the 18 towns of Tarlac were declared free zones—Sta. Ignacia and Victoria, where both the NPC and the LP are fielding their own candidates.
In the congressional race, except for the third district of Tarlac, the incumbents will still be supported by the administration coalition.
For reelection are Rep. Enrique Cojuangco (NPC) in the first district and Rep. Susan Yap in the second district. Yap won under Lakas but had since affiliated with the NPC to join her brother, Gov. Victor Yap.
Representative Yap will face former public works and highways regional director Josefino Rigor, who is likely to run under the Nacionalista Party (NP).
In Tarlac’s third district, a three-way fight is shaping up among reelectionist Rep. Jeci Lapus, former Rep. Hermie Aquino and Concepcion Mayor Noel Villanueva.
The LP-NPC is fielding Aquino, the provincial LP chair and uncle of the
President. Lapus, also a relative of the Aquinos, will seek his third and final term as an independent candidate after running under the NPC in the 2010 elections.
Villanueva will seek the congressional seat under the NP. In the 2010 presidential election, he supported Sen. Manuel Villar despite two of his province mates, Aquino and former Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., joining the race.
Cojuangco-Suntay vs Yap
To most Tarlac politicians, the marching order is very important amid endorsements from various sectors that sought to field
Dr. Isa Cojuangco Suntay as gubernatorial candidate against Victor Yap, an NPC member who is seeking his third and final term.
Suntay is Aquino’s second cousin. Suntay’s mother, Isabel, is a sister of Danding Cojuangco.
Another source close to the family said Suntay was offering herself as an alternative so Tarlaqueños would have another choice.
Sources said Suntay was likely to run for governor even without a political party. Another possible gubernatorial candidate is Vice Gov. Pearl Pacada of Lakas. But petitions are going around the province seeking a Suntay-Pacada ticket.
Still, another Cojuangco is joining the local polls. Governor Yap’s running mate under the NPC-LP banner is Enrique “Kit” Cojuangco Jr., son of Representative Cojuangco.