Administration bet seeks to end decades-old dynasty in Dinalupihan

DINALUPIHAN, Bataan—The Lakas-Kampi-CMD mayoral bet here is seeking to end the longest uninterrupted family political dynasty in this town.

Incumbent councilor and administration mayoral candidate Jules Moncupa described his candidacy as the “end of a very long night and dawning of a new day.”

Moncupa is challenging incumbent Mayor Joel Payumo of the Liberal Party (LP).

Moncupa was alluding to the 46-year reign of the Payumos in Dinalupihan, regarded the longest-running uninterrupted family political dynasty in Central Luzon.

The late Jose Payumo Jr., the father of the incumbent mayor, was mayor here from 1964 to1986. The late

mayor was succeeded by his wife and incumbent mayor’s mother  Lucila Payumo from 1987 to 1995.    

Jojo Payumo, eldest son of Jose Payumo Jr. and Lucila Payumo, became mayor from 1995 to 2004. The incumbent mayor succeeded his older brother in 2004.

Describing the current state of this town as “underdeveloped,” Moncupa said there should be “genuine change” in Dinalupihan. He said it was in this essence that he hatched a battle cry seeking for a “New Dinalupihan.”

He pointed out that Dinalupihan has never yet achieved its full economic potential given its unique feature of interconnecting three provinces—Bataan, Pampanga and Zambales.

The administration vice mayoral candidate, Amy Muli-Sandoval, scion of the prominent political opposition in Dinalupihan, for her part, said she wants to stamp out the alleged corruption that characterized the Payumo administration.

Sandoval said she has been informed of the corrupt practices allegedly perpetrated by the Payumos. For this reason, she wants to bring honest and competent governance to Dinalupihan.

Davao mayor hits “underground Lakas” execs

A CITY mayor in Davao del Norte, meanwhile, branded as “opportunists” the reported “underground Lakas” incumbent governors and congressmen in the country who were said to be already regrouping to throw their support in due time to whoever is the leading presidential candidate other than the administration standard-bearer Gilbert Teodoro.

“I would still support Gibo even if I’m the last man standing to vote for him in the country,” Panabo City Mayor Jose Silvosa, Lakas-Kampi-CMD city chairman, said, adding that Teodoro is the man to watch in the May elections “given his outstanding credentials and capacity to lead the country.”

Silvosa issued the statement in the wake of the disclosure of a provincial official that the “regrouping Lakas incumbents” were older governors and congressmen.

He said that Lakas young ones like Sarangani Gov. Miguel “Migs” Dominguez, who is now the Lakas-Kampi-CMD national chairman, Rep. Anton Lagdameo of Davao del Norte and Rep. Rommel Amatong of Compostela Valley are rabidly rooting for Gibo as they consider him like a kabarkada given their similar or near age level.

The older ones are more pragmatic and practical in their politics and they wanted to be sure to ride on the boat of the next administration while Teodoro has remained to be trailing behind in the recent surveys, said the official, who requested anonymity.

The older Lakas incumbents were said to be either eyeing to support presidential candidates Noynoy Aquino (Liberal Party) or Manny Villar (Nacionalista Party).

But they did not earn praise from the mayor of Panabo, a vote-rich city in the three-town and two-city District Two bailiwick of the Floirendos and the Lagdameos.

“It’s the height of their political opportunism,” Silvosa said, apparently hitting Davao del Norte Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario, now with the LP after being with Lakas for a long time, saying: “Who are they to carry Noynoy now when I was imprisoned during the time of Marcos and had fought much for Cory?”

Silvosa was detained during the imposition of martial law for his human-rights advocacy. He was one of the leading opposition lights in the province before the downfall of Marcos, when march-rallies and yellow Fridays became the order of the day in Davao City and provinces in the mid-’80s.

“I cannot give my vote to Noynoy. There were many unfortunate events that happened during the Cory administration...she was not ready to handle them,” he said. Written by B. Gunio and C. Monforte - Business Mirror