IT WAS lunchtime Sunday at Best Western Hotel in Balibago. It was the venue of the book launching about the life and times of former Angeles city mayor and congressman Carmelo Tarzan Lazatin. The guests were mostly kin and friends of the late Tarzan. Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was guest of honor and dished out a ten minute or so speech and recalled the political alliance between her the late mayor.
It was Mayor Pogi Lazatin who undoubtedly responsible for the publication of the book which was planned years ago when Tarzan was still alive. The publication of the book was overtaken by several events. Irish Calaguas, Tarzan’s loyal girl Friday assembled a team of writers, researchers and editors headed by Punto’s editor Bong Lacson. Months of painstaking and shuttling back and forth to the printing press, the result was the hard bound book about Tarzan.
It was Shakespeare who said that all the good and evil in men are interred with their bones. Yesterday the correct adjectives spoken can be string into a garland and offer it as a necklace to Tarzan. Of all the people who are still alive today, I can safely say that I know more about Pareng Tarzan. It’s a bragging right. We became friends in 1970. Him leading a bohemian life and I was manager of Marisol Manor Hotel and casino. He was there almost nightly and at times I accompanied him on his travels to visit his friends the likes of the Reyeses, owners of Sta. Ana Race Track and Nicanor De Guzman Jr. operator of several casinos and nightclubs along Roxas boulevard in Manila. He was hunk of a man and women easily get attracted to his good looks and side burns. He easily laugh even on corny jokes.
He has legion of friends, rich and poor alike. He loved the company of friends who shared his passion on many things. All popular political families in the early years were all his close friends, the likes of the Cojuangcos of Tarlac, the Sumulongs of Rizal, the Puyats and many more. His bosom buddies were Doro Dizon, Atty. Aming Dizon, Odon Go Piao and Sherrif Rogie Cabigting.
I invited him as godfather to my daughter Catherine and he sincerely accepted it despite the fact I wasn’t his supporter in his political outings. In all my years as I columnist of several local newspapers, I never took a potshot on him out of my respect to him and his father, the late Apung Feleng. I had several occasions lunched with the old man in his San Jose residence. I was even gifted by Apung Feleng with $500 when I first traveled to the United States in the seventies. That I will never forget as long as I live.
The first time I shared the stage with him was in 2013 when I resigned as director of Bases Conversion and Development Authority and other state owned corporations and I was included one among the four council bets in the slate. From time to time he invited me dinner at his Hotel Stotsenberg and we swapped stories. He loved to love. He loved his families. He loved people. He loved adventures. He loved life.
Tarzan Lazatin perhaps can be listed as one of the best political strategists in today's politics. Only two loses and several poll victories from 1980 to 2016. He was a master tactician and Calaguas learned from him.I remember writing an article after he suffered defeat in the 2013 mayoral race vs. Ed Pamintuan. Political observers were saying he might quit politics for good. Not so fast, I wrote. Don't make any mistake about it. Tarzan Lazatin is no quitter.
I remember during dinner at Marquee Mall with Pogi and IC he said he may take one last crack. And he did run for the chairmanship of Barangay Balibago And despite he was riding in a golf cart in hitting the campaign trail in Balibago, the village which has the biggest voting population among the city’s 33 barangays he polled 4,294 votes against Tess Mamac’s 3,787. Many were scratching their heads why a former Mayor and Congressman was interested in running for Barangay Chairman.
Pareng Tarzan is so caring a father and wanted to firm up turfs in order to secure the political future of his two juniors, Jonjon the congressman and Pogi. With a bundle of votes for his two sons any possible future opponents maybe facing a difficult battle against the two young Lazatins. And he was proven correct. The two juniors are unbeatable in their outings because they filled the big shoes of their father and Apung Feleng.