When lady luck really smiles on you, nobody can stop your roll. Angeles City Mayor Carmelo G. Lazatin Jr. aka Pogi seemingly is unstoppable in his quest for a congressional seat. There is no local politician in the first congressional district surfacing, If ever there will be one or two, they maybe newbies or, shall we say, non-entity. The proof that Lazatins will prevail in 2025 is because of the popular support from the constituencies. Same thing to Congressman Jonjon Lazatin who will likely sweep the 2025 local elections with his powerhouse council slate headed by the popular Vice Mayor Vicky Vega Cabigting. The slate is composed of popular surnames like Suller, Sangil, Pamintuan, Indiongco, Bonifacio, Cortez, Del Rosario, Pineda, Baniola and Aguas. A strong lineup indeed.
. Retro: I consider 1995 as my banner year. It was in this elections when Edgardo D. Pamintuan won by a landslide together with Francis Blueboy Nepomuceno as running mate. His ten candidates in the council slate won nine seats. I placed number one. Out of the ten elected and be member of the city council nine emerged victorious. We almost swept the polls.
But in the 1998 elections, it became an entirely different story. There was an unexpected turn of events. Mayor Ed Pamintuan and Vice Mayor Blueboy suddenly showed no interest in the mayorship and both filed their certificates of candidacy as congressional candidates. The two went to grueling hustings and slugged it out fiercely. (Blueboy won the race). Our group was left holding an empty bag, so to speak, without a standard bearer. That was the situation.
I remember it was September and my birthday I will celebrate in few days. I treated to lunch the eight colleagues at the Mekeni restaurant of Holiday Inn in Clark. It was brought up as post prandial discussions the forthcoming elections. We assessed the situation. Whoever will be anointed will face Congressman Carmelo ‘Tarzan’ Lazatin. The name Tarzan swinging from the House of Representatives to the Angeles City hall will give any wannabe goosebumps. It was decided then that we invite either businessman Renato ‘Abong’ Tayag or his uncle former Concon Delegate Jose ‘Senseng’ Suarez to be our standard bearer. I spoke twice to Suarez in his office in a local bank in downtown Angeles tried convincing him to run. Twice I was rejected and he reasoned his age and failing eyesight. Abong Tayag also begged off.
Another lunch-meeting was set by the group and time was ticking because the elections were getting nearer. At first the late Councilor Romy Taruc volunteered to be mayoral candidate, but the late Councilor Aster Angeles persuaded him to rethink his position. He further explained that I was the most senior among them, and that I will become mayor once Blueboy and Edpam resigned. Btw. The law at that time was when you are running for another position, you have to resign. Since both Edpam and Blueboy were running for congress they resigned. Eventually, by operation of law I became the mayor. Not as an officer-in-charge nor acting mayor. It was a difficult decision on my part to oppose a well entrenched and moneyed candidate in Tarzan Lazatin whose treasure chest is as huge as the Holy Rosary church. Expectedly I lost. No regrets.
Present day. Many are convinced that Congressman Jonjon and Mayor Pogi Lazatin who made a good accounting of themselves. When you ask them, both wanted to leave also a footprint which is Tatak Lazatin. Their grandfather, former Pampanga Governor and Mayor Rafael Laxamana Lazatin and their dad, Carmelo Feliciano Lazatin must be smiling on the feats the two accomplished.