Mayor of 2 towns reveals secret of winning elections

LUNA, La Union – Take it from a veteran politician who became mayor of two towns in the province. "It’s not easy to become mayor of two towns,” said Mayor George Pinzon about his secrets of becoming chief executive of two adjacent La Union municipalities.

“It’s destiny, but it is also a matter of doing good. Just like what I am, it has never been my aspiration to become mayor of two towns." Pinzon, 62, was mayor of Bangar town from 1988 to 1998, and is now on his third and final term as mayor of Luna. He ran unopposed in the May 14 election.

"I consider that I have reached the peak of my political career, and I am considering my retirement to become adviser of my children," said Pinzon, who was president of the Mayors League of La Union.

His daughter, Joy Pinzon-Merin, was elected mayor of Bangar the last election, while his son Gary Pinzon was elected vice mayor. Gary succeeded his father as mayor in Bangar in 1998 and ended his third term last June 30, this year, and slid down to the vice-mayorship.

The elder Pinzon established his residence in Barangay Napaset, Luna, hometown of his wife, Rufina, while taking rest from politics in 1998. During the 2001 elections, Pinzon won overwhelmingly in Luna against his rival, then incumbent mayor Geoffrey Tongson.

Many people believed that his victory was credited to his performance in Bangar and his association with the Ortega clan, a powerful political family in La Union. "Just like in Bangar, some groups and political leaders in Luna convinced me to run in the 2001 elections.

I don’t know, but maybe I have the charisma or they have learned of my accomplishments that brought progress to Bangar," Pinzon said. Pinzon first entered politics in his early 20s while he was in fourth year college.

He joined the race for barangay captain in 1970 and won. However, his term was cut short by the declaration of martial law on Sept. 21, 1972 by then President Ferdinand Marcos.

While serving as barangay captain of Central West in Bangar, Pinzon was also elected as president of the Association of Barangay Captains, a position which made him closer to local political leaders.

During the martial law regime, Pinzon decided to quit politics and engage in the tobacco business. It was in 1988, during the administration of President Corazon Aquino that politics knocked again on his life. Elders and political leaders in Bangar called for his comeback to the political arena.

"I became inactive in politics since my election as barangay captain. But in 1988, I was pushed by group of elders and barangay leaders to run, and luckily I won although I ran as an independent candidate," Pinzon said.

He recalled that during the elections, the Ortega clan was then supporting his rival. "Nobody believed that I beat them (Ortega clan)," said Pinzon who was unopposed in the elections in 1992 and 1995. Pinzon said anybody who wants to go into politics should be practical to avoid being called "perennial loser."

"This is a lesson to everybody: We should not dive immediately into politics. We should first examine the winnability, the chance to win the trust and support of the people, and be practical to avoid being a loser," he said.