Vizcaya’s Congress bets squabble over PPC nod

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya — Two major rivals for the province‘s lone congressional seat — Deputy Speaker Carlos Padilla and human rights lawyer Ernesto Salunat — are both claiming to be the official candidate of the People’s Power Coalition (PPC).

Padilla, regional chairman of the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP), was the acknowledged leader of the "Conscience Bloc" which supported moves for the impeachment of former President Joseph Estrada.

Salunat, former Northern Luzon governor of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, is the provincial head of the Lakas-NUCD.

Padilla’s camp is circulating copies of documents supposedly designating him as PPC provincial head with the authority to sign certificates of nomination for the coalition’s candidates for local positions and Congress.

The documents bear the signatures of Finance Secretary Alberto Romulo and Jose Ma. Rufino, chairman and executive director, respectively, of the PPC’s Joint Coordinating Secretariat.

Salunat, however, claimed he is automatically the coalition’s candidate being the official bet of the Lakas-NUCD, one of the major parties under the PPC.

A document signed by Vice President Teofisto Guingona and former House Speaker Jose de Venecia, Lakas-NUCD president and secretary-general, respectively, supposedly attests to his "anointment."

"Being a candidate of Lakas doesn’t necessarily mean you have the coalition’s support," Padilla countered, saying that his LDP faction is part of the PPC.

Meanwhile, Gov. Rodolfo Agbayani’s re-election bid is likely to be a walk in the park, with a practically unknown candidate making a comeback to challenge him.

"No serious candidate has come out in the open and shown interest to at least try his luck by running against him," said lawyer Leonardo "Byron" Perez, son of former senator and Commission on Elections chairman Leonardo Perez.

The young Perez is running for board member under the Lakas-Nationalist People’s Coalition’s local alliance which Agbayani, NPC provincial chairman, and Salunat, local Lakas chairman, have forged.

In the vice gubernatorial race, incumbent Vice Gov. Luisa Ll. Cuaresma is being challenged by three-term Mayor John Severino Bagasao of this vote-rich capital town. Cuaresma is with Padilla’s camp, while Bagasao, a Lakas-NUCD candidate, is banking on Agbayani’s support.