GMA allies in Pampanga form new political party

ANGELES CITY, Philippines – In a move apparently aimed at self-preservation, allies of former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo launched here yesterday a new local political party called Partido Abe Kapampangan (PAK) headed by Angeles City Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan.

Pamintuan used to be Arroyo’s secretary for external affairs and also served as chairman of the National Housing Authority and later president of the North Railways Corp. during her term. He won as mayor of this city under the Lakas-NUCD.

The office of Pampanga first district Rep. Carmelo Lazatin, also a known political adviser of Arroyo during her nine-year presidency, also confirmed that he was joining PAK.

But far from seeking favors from the Aquino administration, PAK, in a statement issued during its launch yesterday, said the decision to form a local party was borne out of President Aquino’s vindictiveness.

“Pampanga may be cut off from national development priorities. And even if former President Arroyo survives and wins all her cases, she would have been irreparably scarred and damaged. It will take long before she can rehabilitate her political image,” the PAK said.

“If a local government is excluded from national priorities owing to political affiliation, alignment or bias, it would be unable to appropriately deliver on its services to its constituents – unless it is able to muster enough voter numbers and support which the national government cannot ignore,” it added.

Some 300 local officials and leaders of this city gathered at a restaurant in Barangay Balibago here yesterday to launch PAK.