MABALACAT CITY -- Marino “Boking” Morales is running for mayor after all.
Replacing Aksyon Demokratiko’s Willie Feliciano, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office here accepted on Tuesday the certificate of candidacy of Morales in what he described as “surprising twist widely accepted by the electorate.”
The mayor said he decided to run because of love for his family and the people of Mabalacat.
“Pauli na ning lugud ku keng kanacung indu, ing lugud ku keng kanakung pamilya at lugud kareng memalen, ing tune igpa ning siyudad Mabalacat, magbalik ku po pasibayu para magserbisyu kekayu,” said Morales.
He also thanked his constituents and supporters for their support to his administration.
“Ako po ay lubos na nagpapasalamat sa suporta na ibinibigay ng mga Mabalaquenos sa ating liderato. Ipagpapatuloy po natin ang ating nasimulan sa siyudad ng Mabalacat. Wala pong iwanan, sama sama po tayo sa pag unlad ng ating siyudad at ng ating pamumuhay,” said Morales.
Morales said there are no legal impediments to his candidacy. He is now on his second term as mayor of the new city.
Morales withdrew his candidacy in the 2016 polls last October. He was substituted by his 36-year-old wife, Ninia Manipon, who is expected to withdraw her candidacy for mayor because of the development.
Morales was first elected mayor in 1995, few years after the Mount Pinatubo eruption.
Under Morales’ stewardship, Mabalacat town was converted into a component city in 2012 which raised the local government’s revenues.
Under Morales’ administration, the Mabalacat City College and the Mabalacat Community High School were established.
Morales pushed for the ongoing construction of Mabalacat East Perimeter Road that will connect Barangay San Francisco and SM Clark.
Aside from this, he also asked the Clark Development Corporation (CDC) to construct the Dolores Interchange that will connect Northern Luzon to Clark Freeport.
Diosdado Pangilinan, director of the Mabalacat Water District, welcomed the development saying the Mabalaquenos support Morales’ administration.
“Nais pong ipagpatuloy ni Mayor Morales ang mga magagandang programa na nasimulan niya. Lubos din po kaming nagpapasalamat sa ibat ibang sectors sa patuloy na suporta nila kay Mayor Morales," Pangilinan said.
“Marami po ang mga positibong nagawa ni Mayor Morales para sa siyudad ng Mabalacat. Siya po ay nagsimula noong panahon ng rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts sa bayan ng Mabalacat. Marami nap o ang nagbago sa Mabalacat at sa pamumuhay ng mga tao,” said Gerry Dayrit, head of the Mabalacat Multi Sectoral Group.
Several groups of Mabalaquenos in Northern and Southern California have thrown their support to Morales because they saw positive changes in Mabalacat City, according to Jonard Aquino.
“Napakarami po ng nagging batayan naming upang suportahan pa ang administrasyon ni Morales,” said Aquino of San Francisco, California, who hails from Barangay San Francisco, Mabalacat.
Socio-civic and business leaders in the city also expressed support to Morales’ reelection bid.