Aliping: No turning back, I will run for Congress

COUNCILOR Nicasio Aliping, Baguio’s number one councilor in the 2010 elections, is running for congress as he firms up his line-up for next year’s election showdown.

“There’s no more turning back. It’s definite,” Aliping said in an exclusive interview by Sun.Star Baguio.

As the current chairman of the Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan in Baguio City, the party headed by Vice President Jejomar Binay and Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, Aliping said the party started monthly meetings in April and recently started weekly meetings to finalize their line-up for next year’s midterm polls.

The councilor said he expressed his interest to run for Congress in 2008 but dropped his bid in order to keep his then local party Timpuyog ti Baguio united.

The last-term councilor said he is ready to move up as he expressed a political core group, comprising respected representatives from various sectors in the city, is backing him.

“They told me that if I make it again as number 1 councilor in the 2010 elections, they will back me in my bid for congress in 2013. Thank God, I came out on top again,” he said.

And if Aliping, indeed, storms Congress, he said it will be the first time that a true Baguio-born legislator will do so.

“If you are a good leader you have to honor your word, that’s the kind of governance I want to set in the table, a brand new kind of leadership from a true Baguio boy with the heart for the city and its people,” he said.

The councilor said his party has no final lineup yet, especially on the positions of mayor and vice mayor, but claimed he is forming alliances with other incumbent Councilors Richard Cariño, Philian Weygan-Allan, Peter Fianza and Elmer Datuin.

But at this point until election time, he said, anything can happen.

“From a guest candidate to last minute changes until next year anything can happen as no line-up is finalized yet. We are talking with all possible candidates. What is important is that those who want to run will be filing their certificates of candidacies,” he said.

Among other prominent names being considered for Aliping’s council line-up are Engr. Rizalino Banta, transport leaders Emmanuel Carantes and Jonie Itliong, former Abra mayor Antonio Domes-ag, former village head Fred Fangonon and lawyers Ronald Perez and Frisco Domalsin.

Aliping also offered a slot to a family member of former mayor Braulio Yaranon.

He said other factors that need to be realized this early include the unity of the party, campaign strategy and a solid financial capability to run the campaign.

Elections in the city are slowly shaping up with parties like Timpuyog ti Baguio headed by the veteran tandem of Representative Bernardo Vergara and Mayor Mauricio Domogan already finalizing their line-up in past weeks. The local alliance is also joined by Vice-mayor Daniel Fariñas, who heads the local Nacionalista Party.

Incumbent members of the local alliance in the council include re-electionist Councilors Betty Lourdes Tabanda and Nicasio Palaganas.

The local Liberal Party, on the other hand, is also finalizing its talks with its members as the party faces rumors of being divided into two groups, one headed by former councilor lawyer Jose Molintas and another headed by former councilor and now John Hay Management Corporation Director Leandro Yangot.

Councilors who are members of LP in Baguio include Isabelo Cosalan, Edison Bilog and Fred Bagbagen.

Other prominent names reportedly eyeing mayoralty and congressional posts in this year’s elections include businessman Mark Go, lawyer Edgar Avila and former mayor Jun Labo.