Obet’s brod faces oust move

GUIGUINTO, Bulacan — Claiming that the rift between Gov. Josefina de la Cruz and the mayors’ league has adversely affected their ranks, 17 of Bulacan’s 22 mayors have asked the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) to intervene in their petition to ask for the resignation of Calumpit Mayor Ramon Pagdanganan as their president.

In a resolution dated Aug. 19, the 17 mayors said the Bulacan Mayors’ League (BML) should be "insulated from individual and personal goals to preserve its unity."

This, according to Guiguinto Mayor Ambrocio Cruz, the league’s executive vice president, is not being fostered by Pagdanganan, brother of Agrarian Reform Secretary Roberto "Obet" Pagdanganan, due to his alleged gap with De la Cruz.

Cruz told The STAR that members of the league noticed that friction when Jon-Jon Mendoza, De la Cruz’s brother, won a seat in the provincial board as president of the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) which Pagdanganan’s brother Hermie used to head.

"It has been going on for more than a year. Kapag may program sa province, hindi dumarating ang aming pangulo (Whenever the province has a program, our president would not be there)," Cruz said.

The 17 mayors called for Cruz’s assumption as the league’s president, being the next in line as executive vice president.

Cruz though is temporarily holding the position as the league’s president-designate until Pagdanganan steps down or calls for an election.

"The move to unseat him (Pagdanganan) came last year but as much as possible we would like to settle the issue among ourselves first," Cruz said.

Besides Cruz, the resolution was signed by Mayors Oliver Andres (Pandi), Onesimo Joaquin (Obando), Dominador Gonzales (Paombong), Eduardo Villanueva (Bocaue), Anacleto Meneses (Bulacan), Felix Ople (Hagonoy), Eduardo Alarilla (Meycauayan), Jaime Viceo Jr. (San Rafael), Leonardo de Leon (Angat), Elpidio Castillo (Pulilan), Santiago Sevilla (San Miguel), Bartolome Ramos (Sta. Maria), Reynaldo Castro (Balagtas), Edgardo Galvez (San Ildefonso), Carlito Reyes (Bustos) and Rolando Javier (Plaridel).

Those who did not sign the resolution were Mayors Leoncio Duran (Marilao), Evelyn Paulino (Doña Remedios Trinidad), Rolando Salvador (Baliuag) and Feliciano Legaspi (Norzagaray).

Cruz said the move would not fuel speculations that he would run for vice governor in the 2004 elections in the line-up of De la Cruz.

He said, "Definitely, I will not run for vice governor. I am still on my second term. I still have a lot of projects so this cannot be viewed as a politically motivated move."

"We signed the resolution on our own, there was no arm-twisting, no harassment and coercion from the capitol," he added.

Pagdanganan was unavailable for comment as of presstime. He earlier declared his bid for vice governor in the 2004 elections.

Cruz said they have forwarded their resolution to the LMP national board and are still awaiting its ruling.