Exchange of Blows

NOW come the preliminary bouts before the final battle next year.
If only the exchange of political blows and attacks of the camps of Angeles City Mayor Ed Pamintuan and Pampanga 1st District Rep. Carmelo “Tarzan” Lazatin would be like that of an armed conflict, many Angeleños would have died or wounded by shrapnel and stray bullets.

This developed as the two prominent leaders of that city would seem unstoppable in their mudslinging in the guise of exposing some sorts of irregularities in their respective past and present governance.

Both are seasoned public servants. Both maintain political prominence. Both have their war chests and die-hard supporters.

Lazatin has alleged that the city government coffers are empty, relying only on its Internal Revenue Allotment for its operation.

He likewise accused the Partido Abe Kapampangan, Pamintuan’s political party, of using the city government’s money in its various activities. The older politician added that Mayor Pamintuan is already campaigning through the events of the Partido.

Corruption and other transaction irregularities were likewise hurled against the present city government headed by Pamintuan.

The people of Angeles expect more of this exchange of tirades as we move on to next year’s mid-term elections.

Meanwhile, Pamintuan counter-attacks, belying the accusations thrown at him by citing figures of the city government’s finances. He stressed that employees’ Christmas bonuses will be paid unlike in previous city administrations.

It can be recalled that during the incumbency of Lazatin as the local chief executive of the city, there were instances of delayed payments of employees’ benefits and perks among other bonuses. He blamed the city council for such.

Lazatin’s casino gambling was likewise underscored when the city hall employees’ union staged a strike for the unpaid benefits.

Pamintuan also cited that during Lazatin’s incumbency, electricity was cut at the City Hall for unsettled electric power bills.

Last Friday, Lazatin and his supporters trooped to the Commission on Elections Angeles City office to file his Certificate of Candidacy (CoC), only to be found out later that it was all for show.

In truth and in fact, Lazatin’s CoC had been already filed by his representative a day earlier. The act seemed to have fooled people who were made to believe that the lawmaker made the first step of his city mayoralty candidacy on the last day of filing set by the Comelec.

Just like in the past election seasons in the city, the exchange of blows between camps is getting serious each day as Election Day approaches. It seems that political camps are always up and ready for battle season after season trying to outwit and outsmart each other the dirty way.

It’s a marketing strategy anyway to say that one is better than the other, while the latter is also saying the same in his favor.

We are in a democratic country anyway and this exchange helps people choose their bets come election time.

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