MABALACAT -- Municipality's mayoralty aspirant Marjorie Morales-Sambo asked her detractors to spare her husband, John Sambo, from controversies surrounding her bid for town's highest post in 2010.

Marjorie is the daughter of Mayor Marino "Boking" Morales.

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John Sambo is being alleged by the other camp as the proponent behind Marjorie's aspirations, whom her detractors have been insisting as the "one" prodding her to run against the mayor allegedly for "some agenda" and to "exact vengeance" for reported "loss of contracts" in a mass housing development project.

But in another exclusive interview with Sun.Star Pampanga at her home Sunday, Marjorie said her husband was actually one of those asking her to forego her candidacy and not run against her father.

"Iniisip ko, bakit si John ang tinitira at sinisiraan nila? He is actually the one asking me not to run anymore. Hindi naman siya ang tumatakbo. Besides, John is not there with me. Hindi siya sumasama sa mga lakad ko at hindi siya nakikialam. Kahit nga sa bahay ang meeting, hindi siya sumasali," she said.

Marjorie told Sun.Star Pampanga: "Baka sila (detractors) ay masagot nila iyon. Kasi, ako, hindi ko talaga masagot iyon eh. Siguro sila na ang dapat sumagot noon, iyong mga nagsusulat na iyan. Constantly, si John ang tinitira nila. At bakit sila naninira? In the first place, kami ay hindi naman naninira eh, di ba? Kumbaga, play fair. Iyon lang naman ang gusto nating magaling sa kanila. Na sana, play fair at kung talagang gusto nilang makuha iyong side naming, kagaya ng interview na ito, eh, malalaman nila, di ba?"

The denials

Marjorie said right after reports that she was scolded by senior citizens here and following her appearance in a local evening talk show, she was deluged with a lot of calls that they (senior citizens) never said anything against John and that they denied saying it was him prodding her to run.

"Right after the reports went out and after my TV appearance, tumawag ang marami sa akin, pati ang senior citizens, at sabi nga nila they never said those things against me and John at nagtataka sila about the statements," she said.

She added: "Sabi ko nga sa kanila, including kay Lola Gloria (Gagui) who is my grandmother on the father side, Lola, hindi nanaman po nilalaban si Daddy. Tumatakbo lang po ako para magkaroon ng pagbabago at matulungan ko kayo. Karapatan po ninyo ang health care at marami pang iba dahil alam ko na marami sa inyo ay wala nang trabaho. Kailangan po ninyo ito ngayon na. Now na."

She said even her older brother Dwight had published an open letter to her denying he ever said that John was behind her bid.

"Si Kuya Dwight nga ay sumulat ng open letter at na-publish sa kabilang newspaper, I think. Sabi nga niya hindi niya sinabi na si John ang nag-uudyok sa akin para tumakbo. Kahit si Mommy nga, who has since been caught in between, ay nag-text sa akin at hindi rin daw niya sinabi na si John ang nasa likod ng lahat ng ito," she said.

The text message she was referring to was also received by Sun.Star Pampanga where her mom, Director Mina Paras of the Clark Development Corporation, was quoted as saying John was not pushing her to run and for some unidentified media practitioners to "stop putting words into their mouths."

Sun.Star Pampanga tried to get Paras' side but a source close to her said she declined for an interview since she was a public official and observes strict ethical standards on such issues.

John, Boking and the "contracts"

Marjorie clarified there is no falling out between John and her father, Mayor Morales.

"John respects my dad like I respect him. Hindi siya ang type na pasaway at lalaban ng ganoon. In fact, in the past, pag may malaking problema si Daddy, John would always be on his side offering help and some advice. John would always volunteer his time at parati siyang nandoon," she said.

"Kaya nga nagtataka kami at ang issue nila ay iyun daw contracts sa isang subdivision dito. John's part was merely to provide labor and some equipment for development of roads there. No materials. We were surprised na noong bumagsak ang kisame at nasira iyung municipal hall annex doon, si John ang sinisisi nila. And guess who the contractor was for that building? Sa Kanila din naman eh," she added.

Father and daughter talk

Marjorie also said that she and her dad discussed her aspirations again some two weeks ago.

"Yes, we got to talk. Ang sabi nga niya sa akin ay humabol na lang akong board member or councilor. Same old, same old story no? Kasi, iyon naman talaga ang gusto nila, for me to run na lang as councilor. Pero sabi ko nga, hindi ko mapapatupad ang kailangang-kailangang maipatupad na na-delay na for a long time kung hindi mayor ang hahabulin ko. Kung councilor o board member, hindi ko magagawa iyon," she said, adding that the power to that lies in the executive "at iyon ang kailangan natin to be able to make a big difference."

"Sabi nga niya (Daddy), 'Ano ba? Lalabanan mo ba talaga ako? Talaga bang lalabanan mo ako?' Ah, medyo mainit ang ulo niya kaya hindi na lang ako kumibo. Pero alam na niya iyon at nagkakaintindihan kami," she said.

She said she told her father: "Dad, Dad, hindi naman kita nilalabanan. I'm just running for mayor. Pero sabi niya, 'Ganoon na rin iyon.' Sabi ko nga, hindi ako humahabol para mang-inis, mang-asar o para mapagbigyan sa isang bagay na ganoon lang. Ang paghabol ko ay will ko at talagang sa hangarin ko na makapagsilbi sa bayan ng Mabalacat."

Sun.Star Pampanga tried to reach Mayor Morales for his comments but a source said he was out of the country for an official trip.

Clarifying "what is rightfully theirs"

"Mabalacat has a budget of P400 million. And from that budget, different sectors are given their allocations. And ah, iyong mga budget, kung minsan kasi, hindi napupunta sa dapat paglagyan. I am not saying it goes somewhere else pero kulang na kulang talaga like for education, social projects, for senior citizens at mga hospitals natin. If you could only see the sorry state of our public hospital here, baka hindi ka man papasok. This is what I mean by giving Mabalaqueños, especially the poorest of the poor, what is rightfully theirs. The benefits and basic services that they need. Kaya pa naman nating i-improve ito through proper and good governance and fresh new ideas," Marjorie said.

"At please no? bayaran naman natin ang ating kuryente since nagamit na natin ito," she said in jest.

Honor thy father

Marjorie said she honors her father, unlike her detractors' allegations, the way it is written in the Holy Bible.

"I honor Dad. Alam niya iyon kung gaano iyong pag-honor ko sa kanya at sa Mommy ko. Tapos, noong dumating sa point na nilalabanan ko daw siya sabi nila, I am disrespectful. Aside from the Ten Commandments, meron din naman sa Bible na ganoon ah," she said.

She explicitly narrated to Sun.Star Pampanga the story of Saul, his son Jonathan and David in 1 Samuel, Chapter 18.

She furthered: "I do not want to hurt Daddy. I hate seeing him get hurt this way. Pero kailangan kong gawin ito because I just really want to serve and I feel it's the right time. Believe it or not, I respect and honor my dad so much."

No backing out

Marjorie also said that despite pleas and calls for her to back out, she would definitely pursue her bid for mayor in 2010.

"I have to stand up and go for it. We are the youth and it's time for us to govern. Kung hindi ako, sino? And now na. I will run as independent and wala akong line-up. It's time for change and the moment to make a difference. Kahit ano pang sabihin nila," Morales-Sambo said.

Though declining to comment on the possibility of joining big political parties, she said she liked Senator Manny Villar for president and sees no problem in considering offers and options from political bigwigs, as she plans to file her certificate of candidacy middle of this month.

"I remain optimistic na I will win. But I do not want to be over confident. We will soon launch a survey which will come from the 'national group' na reliable and systematic. But sa ngayon, I am going for it as an independent candidate," she said.

She added that despite the odds and the controversies and issues between her and her father, she is willing, in case, to pursue the plans, programs and projects of the incumbent.

Gratitude

Marjorie said she was very thankful to the many who have been supporting her.

But to her detractors, she said: "I have nothing to say to them. Kunsensya na lang nila ang bahala." (Jovi T. De Leon)

Published in the Sun.Star Pampanga newspaper on November 9, 2009.