New party to challenge NPC in 2016 Tarlac polls

‘Independent’ block formed 

By Nelson Bolos

PANIQUI, Tarlac-- A new political party will challenge the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) in Tarlac and this may be the beginning of the end of parochial politics in the province.

Thus, said the organizers of the newly formed “independent political block” composed mostly of “independent minded and elected independent municipal councilors” from the 10 towns of the first district who met at the Daniela’s Resort in Barangay Matalapitap over the week end.

 The group initially called themselves as Tarlaquenong Malaya or TAMA.

“Our main intention is to unify all independent and independent minded, progressive and principled leaders for us to become a potent and a strong political group. We will be an alternative voice of the people of Tarlac”, said Ross Tayag, a 3-termer councilor of this town.

Tayag who was elected chairman of TAMA ad-hoc committee also disclosed the group’s plan to “organize province-wide and to register as a local political party”.

According to Comelec records, in the 2013 elections, 17 councilors won as independent candidates from among the 86 independent councilor-candidates along with 2 mayors and 2 vice mayors.

Councilor Ricardo Vengco of Moncada town said, “independent councilors, being minorities in their own towns, are for a long time marginalized by the dominant party. Our special programs are not supported and as a consequence  our constituents suffer. But with our bonding together, we will have a bargaining power”.   

Tarlac politics is dominated by the Nationalist Peoples Coalition (NPC) founded in 1991 by business tycoon Eduardo

“Danding” Cojuangco Jr. Among the NPC members are Governor Victor Yap, Vice Governor Enrique CojuangcoJr, 7 of the 10 elected boardmembers, 15 among the 18 mayors and around two thirds of the sitting municipal councilors.

Second district congresswoman Susan Yap Sulit and the late Cong. Henry Cojuangco (1^st district) are also NPC.

Vengco was elected as number 1 councilor in 2010 and number 2 in 2013 despite being an independent candidate in his town which is known as a NPC bailiwick.

Despite Tarlac being home province of President Benigno Aquino, his Liberal party (LP) has only one elected mayor (Sta. Ignacia), 2 vice mayors, 18 of the of province’s 164 elected councilors and only 2 provincial board members.  

Pura town councilor and former vice mayor Tim Balmores said,

“Karamihan sa amin mahihirap na politiko dahil prinsipyo ang pinaglalaban namin. Pero meron kaming mga solid followers kaya nananalo pa rin kahit walang partido o kahit saang partido sumama”. 

“But admittedly, meron din sa amin na halos kada eleksyon napipilitang magpalit ng partido dahil kinukuha sila sa line-up ng mga non-NPC mayoral candidates. Ito ang isang realidad na gusto naming bigyan ng solusyon. Kaya kaming mga independent at mga independent minded (politicians) ay nagsama-sama upang mabuo ang isang grupo na magiging local party which will be our permanent party”, quipped Nepthalie Gonzales, former 4-term councilor of Sta. Ignacia and former Association of Barangay Chairmen (ABC) president of his town.

The group defines independent politicians as those who refuse to become member of any political party while independent-minded are political leaders who are mostly non-NPC member but were elected in various positions despite changing party affiliations.     

The group also made known of their plan to put-up chapters in all the 3 congressional districts of Tarlac and to swear in members in all the 510 barangays. 

Tayag said, “We organized ourselves to make the people and the leaders in the national level to realize that there is now a reliable alternative political group which represents the true spirit of the Tarlaquenos. As a political block we shall choose and collectively support national and local candidates”.

Among the other members of the group’s organizers are councilors Gina Sulliven of Camiling, Melvin Malazo of San Manuel, DonavelPobre of Mayantoc, and ex-councilor Ben Tawatao of Ramos. 

The group also said Mayor Roseller Toledo of San Clemente who resigned last year from the NPC is to set to join

them together with 2 incumbent vice mayors.

Toledo withdrew from the much vaunted NPC over what he said, “dictatorial policy of the party”.

“I am the incumbent mayor and NPC municipal chairman but I was not consulted when the party anointed an NPC

mayoral candidate for the 2016 elections”, earlier said Toledo.

The Moncada town of Vengco was reigned continuously for almost 28 years by incumbent mayor Benito Aquino (1988-1998 and 2007 to present) and by his wife Lita Aquino who also served as mayor for 9 years (1998-2007). The Aquinos belong to the NPC.