Robin aka Bong Nepomuceno celebrated his 76th birthday few days ago in his residence in Barangay Cutcut and I scanned the photos posted on Facebook and I saw so many familiar faces. Bong Nepo was a basketball player in his youth having played with the Manila Bank team together with Jojo De Guzman and Jaime Taguines in the MICAA tournaments in the seventies. He became vice governor for one term, made an unsuccessful run for mayorship in Angeles and in his last political outing he served as barangay captain and succeeded by wife Cecil and the latter is still the incumbent. The couple have two lawyer sons, namely Jonathan and Bryan. It was Bryan who parlayed into politics. He became a member of the Angeles City council and later became vice mayor. He lost to Pogi Lazatin in a mayoral race and no longer participated in the hustings after that.
As I observed then, there were many who were saying that it was too early for Bryan Nepomuceno to call it quits. He is the heir apparent of the Nepomuceno clan. One setback in politics, and that’s it? Is it really over for Bryan? That’s a big question mark! I am not in the Bong’s birthday bash, but with guests like former Mayor Ed Pamintuan and some barangay captains, it is not far fetched that politics was in the menu. Maybe they talked about the Nepomucenos re-entering the political arena once more. Then there’s former Conressman and Mayor Francis ‘Blue Boy’ Nepomuceno. He is still healthy and never lost his charisma with his standard smile.(Ayling mapanikwa). Is he considering a congressional or a mayoral race? I am just guessing.
What about the Lazatin brothers? Mayor Pogi and Congressman Jonjon are carving their own niches. They are serving their constituents well. Both have high popularity ratings. Looking back, it was my luck to have met Jonjon, Pogi and Bryan and became friends with them despite our disparity in age. I served in the Angeles City Council with them in different times. Jonjon in 1995 to 1998. Its Pogi and Bryan in 2013 up to 2016. I can read their minds. I learned how they react on situations. Their ethics. Their behaviors. Particularly with Pogi and Bryan. To recall, the three of us including the late lawyer Nino Enriquez were in the council ticket of the late Mayor Carmelo ‘Tarzan’ Lazatin Sr. We hit the campaign trail daily from morning till evening and delivered repeatedly our political speeches. We instantly bond together. Bryan, me and Pogi hurdled that election. The three of us composed the minority and I was elected as the minority leader in the council. Now I am retired and anyone among whom I mentioned in above paragraphs is worthy of our trust.
TIDBITS- I wish to express my thanks to all who in the last Christmas season somehow gifted me cash, noche buena baskets, calendars etc. Many of the cash I received I gave to the underprivileged who made early morning queue in my Sto. Domingo residence...I am just wondering who is in charge in the maintenance of equipment in the Clark International Airport. Clark International Airport Corporation was stripped of many functions during by the Bases Conversion Development Authority. I hope the radar equipment and other communication system are efficiently working. Flights are always diverted to Clark whenever NAIA suffers glitches.