New party to challenge NPC in 2016 Tarlac polls
>> Friday, September 11, 2015
‘Independent’
block formed
By
Nelson Bolos
PANIQUI, Tarlac-- A new political party will
challenge the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) in Tarlac and this may be
the beginning of the end of parochial politics in the province.
Thus, said the organizers of the newly formed
“independent political block” composed mostly of “independent minded and
elected independent municipal councilors” from the 10 towns of the first
district who met at the Daniela’s Resort in Barangay Matalapitap over the week
end.
The
group initially called themselves as Tarlaquenong Malaya or TAMA.
“Our main intention is to unify all
independent and independent minded, progressive and principled leaders for us
to become a potent and a strong political group. We will be an alternative
voice of the people of Tarlac”, said Ross Tayag, a 3-termer councilor of this
town.
Tayag who was elected chairman of TAMA ad-hoc
committee also disclosed the group’s plan to “organize province-wide and to
register as a local political party”.
According to Comelec records, in the 2013
elections, 17 councilors won as independent candidates from among the 86
independent councilor-candidates along with 2 mayors and 2 vice mayors.
Councilor Ricardo Vengco of Moncada town
said, “independent councilors, being minorities in their own towns, are for a
long time marginalized by the dominant party. Our special programs are not
supported and as a consequence our
constituents suffer. But with our bonding together, we will have a bargaining
power”.
Tarlac politics is dominated by the
Nationalist Peoples Coalition (NPC) founded in 1991 by business tycoon Eduardo
“Danding” Cojuangco Jr. Among the NPC members
are Governor Victor Yap, Vice Governor Enrique CojuangcoJr, 7 of the 10 elected
boardmembers, 15 among the 18 mayors and around two thirds of the sitting
municipal councilors.
Second district congresswoman Susan Yap Sulit
and the late Cong. Henry Cojuangco (1st district) are also NPC.
Vengco was elected as number 1 councilor in
2010 and number 2 in 2013 despite being an independent candidate in his town
which is known as a NPC bailiwick.
Despite Tarlac being home province of
President Benigno Aquino, his Liberal party (LP) has only one elected mayor
(Sta. Ignacia), 2 vice mayors, 18 of the of province’s 164 elected councilors
and only 2 provincial board members.
Pura town councilor and former vice mayor Tim
Balmores said,
“Karamihan
sa amin mahihirap na politiko dahil prinsipyo ang pinaglalaban namin. Pero meron kaming mga
solid followers kaya nananalo pa rin kahit walang partido o kahit saang partido
sumama”.
“But admittedly, meron din sa amin na halos
kada eleksyon napipilitang magpalit ng partido dahil kinukuha sila sa line-up
ng mga non-NPC mayoral candidates. Ito ang isang realidad na gusto naming
bigyan ng solusyon. Kaya kaming mga independent at mga independent minded
(politicians) ay nagsama-sama upang mabuo ang isang grupo na magiging local
party which will be our permanent party”, quipped Nepthalie Gonzales, former
4-term councilor of Sta. Ignacia and former Association of Barangay Chairmen
(ABC) president of his town.
The group defines independent politicians as
those who refuse to become member of any political party while
independent-minded are political leaders who are mostly non-NPC member but were
elected in various positions despite changing party affiliations.
The group also made known of their plan to
put-up chapters in all the 3 congressional districts of Tarlac and to swear in
members in all the 510 barangays.
Tayag said, “We organized ourselves to make
the people and the leaders in the national level to realize that there is now a
reliable alternative political group which represents the true spirit of the
Tarlaquenos. As a political block we shall choose and collectively support
national and local candidates”.
Among the other members of the group’s
organizers are councilors Gina Sulliven of Camiling, Melvin Malazo of San
Manuel, DonavelPobre of Mayantoc, and ex-councilor Ben Tawatao of Ramos.
The group also said Mayor Roseller Toledo of
San Clemente who resigned last year from the NPC is to set to join
them together with 2 incumbent vice mayors.
Toledo withdrew from the much vaunted NPC
over what he said, “dictatorial policy of the party”.
“I am the incumbent mayor and NPC municipal
chairman but I was not consulted when the party anointed an NPC
mayoral candidate for the 2016 elections”,
earlier said Toledo.
The Moncada town of Vengco was reigned
continuously for almost 28 years by incumbent mayor Benito Aquino (1988-1998
and 2007 to present) and by his wife Lita Aquino who also served as mayor for 9
years (1998-2007). The Aquinos belong to the NPC.
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