POLITICS can be drawn separately in different periods of local history. Carmelo “Tarzan” Lazatin has his own story to tell far different from his old man, the well revered Rafael Lazatin who was governor, Angeles City mayor and assemblyman.
Bryan Cuyugan Nepomuceno’s political career cannot be compared to her Lola Saning and Lolo Quitong’s years in public service. Lola Saning was the late Congresswoman Juanita Lumanlan Nepomuceno and Lolo Quitong was the late Francisco Gopez Nepomuceno. The young Nepomuceno is currently Angeles City vice mayor.
He is just in his first term as the number two man, yet his sights gleams towards at the upstairs’ office of the current Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan who is in his final term. (Pamintuan to Congress, shouts his legions).
Who among us wouldn’t want to follow a colorful career of anyone in the family? So it is the popular belief of many that Bryan will carry the torch and banner of the Nepomucenos who were prominent in Pampanga and Angeles politics for decades.
Looking back, and that was in the early fifties, Bryan's lolo Quitong was elected first as a town councilor of Angeles, then served few years as a board member and served one term as member of the House of Representatives. He was the arch political rival of the equally loved Rafael Lazatin. They opposed each other in many political contests, and Nepomuceno never tasted getting beaten by Lazatin in the several gubernatorial races.
Nepomuceno’s wife, Juanita Lumanlan of Porac was a bar topnotcher, served with distinction in the House of Representatives and consistently voted as one of the outstanding legislators in her time. She also served briefly as governor of the province.
Bryan was destined to become a politician because he was born just a day before the 1980 elections, and the next day his dad was elected provincial board member and his Lolo Quitong was voted mayor of Angeles City. He was an outstanding student from high school days up to the time he finished political science and got his doctor of laws degree at the Ateneo De Manila.
Besides his good looks, and being a perennial dean's lister he was the campus prize catch. Her classmate in law school a beautiful Negros Occidental lass Erika Ana Andrea Cailao Jimenez equally a dean's lister became his wife.
He and wife Erika were invited by many prominent law offices in Manila and served for while with the Romulo, Mabanta, Buenaventura, Sayoc and De Los Angeles law offices but Bryan persuaded his wife to establish their own law offices in Angeles City in order to extend free legal services to those who could not afford private lawyers. The husband and wife's law practice flourished when in 2010 politics beckons. Bryan was included in the council line up of his uncle, then Mayor Francis 'Blueboy' Nepomuceno. He garnered the fifth slot.
As it was in his studies, and in the many endeavors he got engaged into, the very well-focused Bryan authored several resolutions and ordinances and benefits cascaded most to the underprivileged. It is so basic for Bryan to always be focused on whatever he does.
Today his focus is on the vice mayorship of Angeles City, and observers are all one in saying he can be mayor, but the question is when? In 2019? It isn’t enough that you did well in governance and people will vote for you. There are so many X factors. I will explain that in my next article.