IBA Naman
Lazatins, Nepomucenos, Pamintuans – all political families that have ruled Angeles City.
They held power at different points in time. I am middle-aged and if you do the math, I was still very young when husband and wife Francisco and Juanita Nepomuceno occupied seats of power not just in Angeles City but also at the provincial level. They held other positions like in the Pampanga Provincial Board, the House of Representatives, the Pampanga Capitol (as Governors on different periods). Francisco or
ruled Angeles for several years in the 70s and 80s.
Their sons – Robin (Bong) and Francis (Blueboy) also entered the political fray. The former became a Board Member and even a Vice Governor while the latter took the city helm and was a Congressman too. Blueboy first came to power when Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan picked him to be his running mate in the 1990s. Many had said that the Nepomucenos might have gone into political oblivion if Edpam did not choose Blueboy to become his vice mayor then. That was the retrospection.
Comes now another Nepo in Atty. Bryan Matthew, who was elected as vice mayor in 2015. He is said to be in the 5th generation of politicians in his genealogy. One that started in the mid-1800s with Pio Rafael Nepomuceno serving as
of Angeles. There were other Nepos that ruled in between.
As for Lazatins, who does not know Carmelo “Tarzan” Lazatin? Not just in Angeles and Pampanga but also elsewhere. He was a manytermer Congressman and Mayor. He is now in the running for Barangay Captain of Balibago, Angeles City’s premier vi l l age.
His son Carmelo II or Jonjon is now the incumbent congressman of Pampanga’s first district while Carmelo Jr. or “Pogi” is a city councilor (Yes folks, those are three Carmelos). exudes great PR and might just bag the vice mayorship in the future. Apung Tarzan’s father Rafael was also a former Pampanga Governor and mayor of Angeles City.
The Pamintuans are different breed. They are altogether of different class. Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan or EdPam first started his mayoral career in the 1990s. He was greatly responsible for the recovery of Angeles City from the double whammy in Pinatubo’s eruption and the pullout of American troops in Clark.
He was also credited for some of the infrastructure and road network loops that are coming to realization in Metro Manila. That, he had helped plan for when he was appointed by former President Arroyo as in her Cabinet as Presidential Adviser for External Affairs.
Then he came back to City Hall with vengeance when he beat Blueboy in 2010, the very same person he picked to be his running mate in 1995 but would later trounced him for Congressman years later.
Edpam’s father, Alberto, was vice mayor of Angeles City in the 1980s while his son Edu (Edgardo Jr.) is, just like the mayor-dad, is about to complete his three terms as Councilorand is said to be a possible vice mayoral candidate for 2019.
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Making a big wave in the political realm lately is Bong Alvaro, a former City Councilor himself who had also served as City Administrator during the stint of BlueboyNepo.
This fellow is known more as a businessman, a locator and investor inside Clark Freeport, especially among the so-called millennials. That is because of his many exposure as of late in the social and mainstream media. His face has been made more recognizable by today’s youth through the huge billboards of Aqua Planet in strategic points in the city.
His superimposed photo on those billboards that announced the opening of Clark’s newest attraction could not be ignored. Rather, his outstretched arms seemingly convey openness, approachability – a beckoning. As one politician commented of his pose: “he is like Moses summoning his people to come with him for a better life.”
Did anyone quip promise land? Nahh, I don’t think so. Alvaro is a religious guy but I don’t think he would want to be known as somebody who could lead people to “promise” land.