Palayan City mayor denies eyeing congressional seat

PALAYAN CITY , Philippines  â€“ This city’s neophyte mayor has denied reports she is eyeing a congressional seat in 2016 which could put her in a possible collision course with her ally, outgoing Nueva Ecija Gov. Aurelio Umali.

Speaking to journalists here last Friday, Mayor Adrianne Mae Cuevas dismissed as baseless and absurd reports that she would seek the third district congressional seat when she is just on her first term as mayor of this provincial capital.

“Honestly, I have been preoccupied with solving and fixing the many problems left behind by the previous administration in Palayan. I think with the myriad problems I have to attend to, even one term, two terms or even a third term would not be enough to set the house in order,” she said.

Cuevas defeated former Light Rail Transit administrator Pacifico Fajardo – a former three-term congressman and three-term mayor – in the May 2013 elections.

Cuevas said her mission in running for mayor was to help alleviate poverty in the city by providing jobs and empowering the people, settling land and housing problems, and making the city an emerging urban center.     

“It bears emphasizing that my main goal is to make Palayan City one of the most efficient local government units, so aiming for another position would be veering away from that vision,” she said.

She admitted that she is not even sure if she would seek a second term. “That is, if my children would allow me to,” she said.

There has been talk on Cuevas’ supposed congressional plan here and in the third congressional district that also covers Cabanatuan City and the towns of Bongabon, Gen. Natividad, Laur, Gabaldon and Sta. Rosa, the hometown of Umali and his wife, outgoing three-term Rep. Czarina.

With his wife eyeing the governorship in 2016, there are reports that Umali is either running for vice governor to be her running mate or return to reclaim his wife’s post, which he held in 2001 and 2004.

Cuevas said the issue about her supposed congressional bid is clearly black propaganda possibly intended to drive a wedge between her and Umali and his camp.

She said though this would not distract her from doing her job as mayor.

Barely eight months into her term, Cuevas said the city government was able to save around P80 million through fiscal prudence by undertaking road concreting projects through the “bayanihan” program where the barangay folk provide the labor.

By the end of this year, she said she is hopeful the city government would be able to pay its past loans with Pag-IBIG Fund.