Gonzales’ Daughter seeks Bataan Congress seat

BALANGA CITY – A daughter of National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales is gunning for the second district congressional post in Bataan.

Maria Aurora Gonzales, 29, an associate of the Britanico Sarmiento and Franco law office and an alumna of Ateneo de Manila University, filed her certificate of candidacy at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) provincial office here.

She is running under the banner of Partido Demokratiko Sosyalista ng Pilipinas (PDSP) which his father founded.

The young Gonzales, niece of the late congresswoman Medina Lacson de Leon of the lone district of Bataan in the late 1950s and granddaughter of the late Bataan governor Pedro Dizon, will face re-electionist Rep. Albert Garcia, Central Luzon head of the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi) and national treasurer of the administration coalition.

Aside from Gonzales, former Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority chairman Felicito Payumo, former governor Leonardo Roman, three-term Abucay Mayor Liberato Santiago and 10 aspirants for the provincial board submitted their certificates of candidacy before lawyer Orlando Torres, provincial election supervisor, yesterday.

Payumo is running for the first district congressional post, Roman for governor, and Santiago for vice governor.

About 200 supporters of Gonzales trooped to the provincial capitol compound after attending a Mass celebrated by Bishop Socrates Villegas of the Balanga Archdiocese.