Longest-serving mayor withdraws reelection bid

MABALACAT, Pampanga, Philippines – The mayor of this city, reputed to be the longest serving mayor in the country, has withdrawn his reelection bid amid a disqualification case he is facing.

Marino Morales, who has been in office for 21 years now despite the three-term limit for local officials, said yesterday he has asked his wife, Ninia Morales, 36, to run as his substitute.

“My wife Ninia is set to file her COC (certificate of candidacy)… I served my cabalens for 21 years with humility and dignity... I want to thank them for their support,” Morales said.

Ninia will run against the candidate of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, provincial board member Cris Garbo.

Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal had said there is no legal impediment for Morales’ reelection bid after Mabalacat was declared a city in 2012.

Morales’ political fortune was a result of the electoral protests by his political opponents since the 1995 elections.

After serving his third term in 2004, Morales ran anew for mayor, saying his last term was interrupted when the Commission on Elections came up with a ruling that his opponent was the winner in the 2001 elections. The Comelec ruling was issued only a month before the 2004 elections.

Morales won again in the 2004 election, but the Comelec in a ruling issued only in 2007, ordered him to turn over his post to his vice mayor. The vice mayor was able to sit only from May 9 to June 30, 2007.

Acting on another election protest when Morales ran for reelection in 2010, the Supreme Court said his term from July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2010 was “effectively his first term.”

Running unopposed

In Pangasinan, at least 20 candidates, most of them seeking reelection, are running unopposed.

Among the candidates are District 2 Rep. Leopoldo Bataoil, Mayors Timoteo Villar III of Sto. Tomas town, Silverio Alarcio Jr. (Laoac), Alain Jerico Perez (San Manuel), Teodoro Ramos (Sta. Maria), Amadeo Gregorio Perez IV (Urdaneta), Ramon Gucio III (Binalonan) and Roberto Arcinue (Sual).

Sto. Tomas Vice Mayor Wilfredo Pescador, San Manuel Vice Mayor Salvador Perez, Sual Vice Mayor Dionisio Caburao Jr. and Villasis town vice mayoral bet Jesus Franco Sison Jr. are also without opponents.

Seven reelectionist councilors – Ely Ramos, Benjamin Oculto Jr., Estefania Vengco, Tomas Castañaga Jr., Dominador Lardizabal, Alfredo Eleccion and Leonora Zarasate – and former vice mayor Benito Ordonio, another candidate for councilor, are also running unopposed. – With Eva Visperas