FOR purposes of convenience, brand recall, and endearment, public personalities and VIPs are known by their nicknames, initials, and pseudonyms.
Conveniently newspapers used initials for brevity (DM, CPG, RM, CPR, FM, GMA, JPE, EPM); Nanay Baby, Cory, P-Noy in endearment; Asiong Salonga, Leon Guerrero, and EdPam for brand recall.
Former Pampanga Governor Panlilio was known as Among Ed while top prelates were addressed as Apu Cetu and Bishop Ambo.
The city mayor of San Fernando is called EdSa while his vice mayor is simply Jimmy with his cap on, and Vice Mayor Lazatin without it.
The Vice Governor is Delta which is neither a combination of his parents' surnames. Who does not know Dong, the man of the third district? Or Rimpy of the 4th and Mikey of the 2nd districts, respectively? Two famous celebrities are called "Bong" (Rodolfo Pineda and Cesar Lacson). Max is a generic name, Pampanga has the only genuine brand.
During the martial regime two die-hard Marcos generals were known as RG (Brig. Romeo Gatan) and General Burns (fire victim Brig. Gen. Vicente Eduardo). A starless "Gener-al" in Angeles was the late civic leader Gener Lumanlan who befriended generals from the USAF at Clark and from Camp Olivas.
The most dreaded PC colonel in the region during the Marcos era was simply known as "Ador." He was reputed to carry a guillotine in his pocket.
Dissident leaders were known by their aliases as in Sumulong (Faustino del Mundo); Dante (Bernabe Buscayno); Bilog (Rodolfo Salas). Notorious of them were Kumander Pusa and Kumander Melody.
Two former San Fernando mayors were known by their initials: APB for Armando P. Biliwang and RBA for Rey B.Aquino. OCA was the celebrated CSF mayor and now well-loved 3rd District congressman.
Starting as a poor politician, Ernesto Punzalan was called Erning "Tigas." When he made easy fortune as mayor, he was dubbed Mayor Asenso.
Two owner-operators of funeral parlors were elected town mayors on the basis of their discounted or free burial services: Sto. Tomas's Lucas Arceo and Mexico's Teddy Tumang. Former CSF vice mayor Eligio Lagman was called Tiger. Ex-Cong. Carmelo Lazatin is Tarzan. His junior son is Pogi. If Angeles has a Tarzan and San Fernando, a Tiger, Porac has its lion (Guerrero).
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In The '70s former Gov. Nepo and ex-Gov. Rafael Lazatin engaged in nasty name-calling during a bitter campaign. Nepo labelled the older strong-arm rival "Khomeini" after the Iranian cleric dictator. Lazatin got back called him Quitong "Kamote" because he was a lawyer who never handled a case in court. His son, former Angeles city mayor Francis, is called Blueboy.
Ganging up on the Khomeini for the kill was ex-Mayor Rafael del Rosario. Lazatin addressed Cong Raf as Corap, a deadly blow on the young opponent. The old man explained it was his way of pronouncing Cong Rap. The nickname "Baby" was made popular by former SF mayor Virgilio "Baby" Sanchez and ex-mayor Israel "Baby" Eusoof of Guagua. The most popular Babv of them all is Nanay Baby.
A former mayor of Candaba wanted to be known as John Lloyd while the new mayor Rene Maglanque fought under the moniker Coco Martin. Their resemblance to the movie stars was only imagined- such is the stuff of fantasy.
But Mabalacat residents also know their mayor as Gabby Concepcion although he is truly the one and only Boking Morales, the holder of the Guiness record as the longest serving LGU executive in the Philippines.
The popular poet-columnist from Minalin uses a professional name for his enterprise. Not unlike Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hide. Media colleagues call him Macky Pangan when he is bad, and Eddie Aguilar when he is very bad.
Until he has had his daily fix of McDo burger and coffee, Macky is in a nasty temper, not unlike that of a suicide bomber, so watch out.
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SSP colleague Malou Gueco has disclosed an unknown facet in the life of EdPam who saved many UP activists from the harsh martial law regime. Atty. Ed was the counsel of several faculty and administration officials, some of whom narrated their dramatic experience to Malou recently. EdPam had survived assassination attempts. His alias in the underground movement during the martial regime was "Kumander Gatdu."
Another freedom fighter is Atty. Oscar Rodriguez, son of a peasant family from Sta. Ana town. His nome de guerre was "Kumander Jasmine." The two still carry on with their patriotism, moral courage, and love of service to the poor to these days. That quite makes them unbeatable.