Let’s step back a little in time. During the sixties, Makati Mayor Nemesio Yabut, a Capampangan from Macabebe, was one of the more popular local executives. Antonio ‘Yeba’ Villegas was the mayor of Manila, Norberto Amoranto of Quezon City, Pablo Cuneta and Macario Assistio were mayors of Pasay City and Caloocan respectively. People of my age still remember them and their brands of public service. All of them were unbeatable in their re-election bids for several years. At this time, seemingly it is the decades of the Lazatins, specifically the two juniors of the late Congressman Tarzan, Pogi and Jonjon, both unbeatable as the numbers indicate.
I started covering as a reporter for a national daily Pampanga in mid-sixties and in some ways many of the mayors became friends and others as acquaintances. Dan Lacson of Magalang was elected mayor in 1967. Before that he was an extension worker of Presidential Arm for Community Development (PACD). In that year also elected were Eugenio N. Suarez of Angeles, Levi Panlilio of San Fernando, Emiliano Candelaria of Mabalacat and Victoriano Panlilio of Porac among others.
Before them were Carlito Pineda of Mabalacat, Rafael Lazatin and Francisco G. Nepomuceno of Angeles City, German Galang of Sta. Rita, Domingo Flores of Macabebe, Higinio Gopez of Porac, Salvador Dimson of Lubao, Julito Espino of Arayat and Anastacio Gallardo of Candaba among others.
Mayors come and go. They start their political careers and time will end it. Life is so fragile. No one can escape in kicking the bucket, sooner or later. Each one them wanted to leave a lasting legacy. It is not the legacy which is like a will or a testament that you leave behind for the family to inherit. I am referring to the legacy which you will be long remembered. The question is: How do you want to be remembered? Not that you amassed wealth while in office and bought real properties left and right and have stashed cash in several banks. Or you want to be remembered because you changed and touched many lives.
Let’s journey back in time. One of the less controversial mayors during his time at the municipio was the late Mayor Fred Halili. He was darling of the local media. In his youth he struggled to help his less privileged family. He worked as a barracks boy at nearby Clark Air Force and continued his studies after work. He run as vice mayor in tandem with Mayor Emiliano Candelaria. He won and the latter lost. This was in 1971. The winning mayor was Ben Fernandez. It was Hallli’s fate to be one of Mabalacat’s long serving town executive. It was only two months in office when Fernandez was felled by an assassin bullets. He served well the constituency. He was only sidelined when Cory Aquino became president in 1986 and was relieved by John Santos. But in elections of 1988 he reclaimed the mayorship by winning against Santos and lawyer Adelaido Rivera.
One of the most controversial mayors in the eighties was Arayat Mayor Benny Espino. He escaped death many times. He was ambushed few times by unknown assassins .He lived a colorful life. He had a booming voice that complimented his large frame. Yet he was kind, nice, gentle and very generous even to non-friends. He was a gentle giant of a man who asserted himself in a town which was center of many unrest. He prevailed in many elections. The townspeople loved him. Twice undergoing heart bypass and died few years later from myocardial infarction.
My cousin Ceferino ‘Ninong’Lumanlan of Porac was assassinated while campaigning in Barangay Sta. Cruz. He was an architect and started a construction business. It was during his time that big time quarry operations in the town started and it became a multi- million industry. It’s now a good source of revenue for the province. Another controversial mayor in the seventies and eighties was the late Mayor Armando P. Biliwang of San Fernando. He formed the Barangay Self Defense Unit (BSDU), a group that declared war against the dissident movement. Dondoy as he was called by kins and friends was a very charitable and a friendly person. He died a pauper and after his term he struggled looking for money to pay his power bills.
There were less controversial mayors in the province but were embraced by electorates not because of their achievements but were caring and always ready to lend helping hands, so generous and dig on their own pockets to those who seek assistance. I remember the late Sta.Rita Mayor Frank Ocampo, a simple fellow whose dark complexion and ready smile for everyone identified himself to the masses. The same thing can be said of the late Apalit Mayor Romy Pamintuan who in his last days I often shared coffee in one of those food chains in a mall in San Fernando. He was so proud in telling everyone that he entered politics a moneyed man and he made an exit ten times poorer. Oh we miss the old politicos.