Camarines Sur: Clash between old political clans
(Second of a series)
A CLASH between two old political clans is shaping up again in Camarines Sur province, with the Fuentebellas and the Villafuertes gearing up for the gubernatorial race in next year’s elections.
In 2004, Luis Raymund “LRay” Villafuerte whipped William Felix “Wimpy” Fuentebella in the race for the capitol.
This time, LRay’s son, incumbent Gov. Miguel Luis “Migz” Villafuerte, is expected to seek reelection against Tigaon Mayor Arnulf Brian “Arnie” Fuentebella, older brother of Wimpy, both of whom are sons of former Speaker Arnulfo Fuentebella.
Both LRay and Migz have been estranged from their patriarch, LRay’s father Luis Villafuerte.
The older Villafuerte is now allied with the Fuentebellas in the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), while LRay is the provincial chair of the Nacionalista Party (NP).
LRay is set to run for the second district’s seat in the House of Representatives against Pasacao Mayor Asuncio Villamante Arseño, a protégé of the Arroyo administration’s budget secretary, Camarines Sur first district Rep. Rolando “Nonoy” Andaya Jr.
Robredo protégé
In the third district, Rep. Leni G. Robredo’s departure to run for Vice President with the Liberal Party (LP) means a fight between Naga City Councilor Gabriel Bordado, a protégé of Robredo’s late husband, Jesse, and Luis Villafuerte.
Robredo, then a junior politician, made history with a landslide win against Luis Villafuerte’s wife, Nelly, in the 2013 congressional race.
The Alfelor political clan of the fifth district of Camarines Sur, carried on by the second-generation descendants, is split between first cousins.
One faction belongs to the LP and represented by Rep. Salvio Fortuno, who is allied to LRay Villafuerte, and the other faction is allied with the Fuentebella political clan.
New dynasty
The political rivalry in the two-district Camarines Norte province, once between the Pimentel and the Padilla clans, continues to evolve, with incumbent Gov. Edgardo A. Tallado now the dominant figure.
OLD HANDS Veteran politicians Felix Alfelor Jr. (left) Luis Villafuerte (center) and Arnulfo Fuentebella (right) still dominate Camarines Sur politics through their children or relatives. JUAN ESCANDOR/INQUIRER SOUTHERN LUZON
The Pimentels are now allied with Tallado while the Padillas, along with the Barcelona-Unico-Reyes clan, are the emerging political dynasty in the province, to which incumbent Rep. Cathy Barcelona Reyes of the first district belongs.
Reyes is being eyed to challenge second-term Governor Tallado, who defeated Reyes’ first cousin Renato Unico Jr. in the 2013 elections.
Unico left his congressional seat in the 2013 elections to run for governor and was replaced by Reyes.
With the death of Rep. Elmer Panotes, the Panotes family has allied itself with Tallado in the second district of Camarines Norte where Josefina B. Tallado, wife to the governor, is eyeing the congressional seat in the first district against Unico, who is planning to make a comeback in the 2016 elections.
Potential returnees
Former Laguna Gov. Emilio “ER” Ejercito, who was ousted in February for overspending in the 2013 elections, is poised to retake his old post by challenging his former vice governor, Gov. Ramil L. Hernandez, of the LP.
Ejercito belongs to the opposition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) of Vice President Jejomar Binay.
In Puerto Princesa City, capital of Palawan province, a tight race is shaping up between former close allies Edward Hagedorn and Lucilo Bayron for the mayoralty.
Bayron, the incumbent, is seeking a second term. Hagedorn aims to regain the office from which he wielded power in the city for most of the last two decades.
Recall election
In May, the two fought in an intense recall election mounted by Hagedorn who accused the incumbent of mismanagement.
Bayron eked out a victory over his former boss who is also a relative.
Charging irregularities, Hagedorn is challenging the result of the recall election.
The Commission on Elections will recount the contested votes this month.
In-laws Hagedorn and Bayron split in 2013 when Hagedorn decided to field his wife in the mayoral race to the chagrin of Bayron, an ally of Gov. Jose Alvarez.
