MABALACAT -- Members of a senior citizen's group here have scolded the daughter of Mayor Marino "Boking" Morales for her "being disrespectful of his father."

Sources said some members of the Senior Citizens of Mabalacat rebuked Marjorie Morales-Sambo after she had announced her plan to face her father in next year's mayoralty contest.

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A source, who requested anonimity, said the elderly scolded Marjorie during her recent visit to the office of the senior citizens here.

"Alam namin, kaya ka lang humahabol ay dahil mayroon lang nag-uudyok sa iyo at dahil hindi lamang kayo napagbigyan," the source quoted Ador Pialet, president of the senior citizens group here, as saying.

The source said one of the officers of the group, identified as Gloria Gagui, asked Sambo: "Bakit mo nilalabanan ang iyong ama samantalang maayos at maganda naman ang pamamalakad niya sa Mabalacat?"

Sambo, the source said, was dumbfounded by the questions "as she grasped for answers."

"What you were doing is a total defiance against your father. Harapan mo nang nilalabanan ang iyong ama, anong klase kang anak?" Gagui reportedly told Sambo.

The camp of Mayor Morales has been claiming that Sambo's husband, private contractor John Sambo, is the one who has been prodding her to run against his father in the 2010 elections. But the mayor's daughter has denied this in her previous statements.

The source said members of the senior citizen's group here have expressed their continued support for Morales and urged Sambo to set aside her political plans, as "she won't win the mayoralty race, anyway."

Reached through the phone Monday, Sambo told Sun.Star Pampanga: It's true, one of them (senior citizens) went upfront to make statements. Inaawat ko nga siya at sabi ko 'Lola, baka mapaano po kayo niyan,' at sabi ko nga po ay easy lang."

Sambo said the support for her by the senior citizens ranged higher.

"I asked them nga po at sabi nila, more or less 70 percent sa kanila ay sa atin at 30 percent lang sa kabila (Mayor Morales)," she said.

She told Sun.Star that she would answer this coming days all the allegations and accusations hurled at her and her husband.

Sambo said the Mabalacat senior citizens' group did not in any way drag her husband into her bid to go for the elective post next year. "Wala naman silang (senior citizens) sinabi tungkol kay John."

Sambo has since manifested her intentions to run for mayor of the first class municipality amid calls for her to back out.

Immediately after her manifestations of intent, she has been hit by her critics from the Morales camp, who alleged that it was her husband who was prodding her to run for mayor allegedly to "get even" with his father-in-law.

Allies of Mayor Morales said the "falling out" between him and the Sambo stemmed from the cancellation of the latter's contract at the Xevera Mabalacat project in Barangay Tabun. This, however, was also denied by Sambo.

Mabalacat Water District chairman Diosdado Pangilinan, who serves as spokesperson of Mayor Morales, said the mayor had nothing to do with the alleged cancellation of Sambo's contract with Globe Asiatique, developer of Xevera Mabalacat "because the local executive does not decide for the real estate developer." (With Jovi T. De Leon)