ANGELES City- Though merely dismissed as political propaganda, issues about the mayoralty candidates here have became topics of conversations and neighborhood chats in the internet.
Among these controversies up in the internet is mayoralty bet Secretary Edgardo Pamintuan's case with a certain 16-year-old model before. Web portals like the http://www.cannestv.com and http://www.members.tripod.com, among others have hosted comments on the alleged issue involving Pamintuan.
One post read: "Angeles City Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan was involved in the case of a 16-year-old model being prostituted by a talent manager, Jojo Veloso."
The issue was also raised by Sun.Star Pampanga Columnist Ram Mercado in his January 10 article entitled "Mercado: Secretary Pamintuan - Tell us it ain't so."
"Last week, I received by mail downloaded print materials from the Internet. The items included a fact book on Global Sexual Exploitation with focus on the Philippines, including names involved in celebrated case while being in government service. It would do well for the aspiring mayor, Secretary Pamintuan, to clear his name once and for all, and get this gossip buried for keeps," Mercado said in his column.
Sun.Star Pampanga tried to get comments from Pamintuan and from his aide, Archimedes Reyes, but their supposed official statement on the matter is still not available as of this posting.
In 1996, Pamintuan denied having been involved with a young model and with Jojo Veloso, as printed by national dailies.
Meanwhile, City Administrator Mark Allen Sison also expressed concern over the appearance of a Facebook account of incumbent Mayor Francis "Blueboy" Nepomuceno.
The Facebook account, according to Sison, has been hosting nasty comments attributed to the mayor, which include "bad talk" on the impact projects of the mayor like the sports complex.
"We would like to make it clear that the mayor has no Facebook account and does not have time to entertain such activities with the social networking site. We believe that this is one of the many black propaganda initiated to derail the 2010 mayoralty bid of the good mayor," Sison said.
Sison hopes a wholesome political campaign between rivals and not mudslinging.
"We are always ready to answer the issues raised against us. It is unfortunate that the mayor and his rivals in the 2010 race are being subjected to this propaganda," Sison added.