LEGAZPI CITY: The Fuentebella clan of Camarines Sur may likely have been the oldest and longest reigning dynasty of politicos in the country—they held sway in the fourth district, or Partido area of Camarines Sur for 105 years.

Deputy House Speaker Arnulfo Fuentebella is the current head of the political clan and the major proponent of the bill carving Camarines Sur—giving space for a Nueva Camarines province—the present fourth district, which comprises 10 municipalities of Partido.

The “chop Camarines Sur” proposal, according to critics and observers, would allow the deputy speaker to prolong his grip on power should a new province be created.

However, Fuentebella denies that a Nueva Camarines will benefit him and his clan.

Fuentebella explained that creating another province out of Camarines Sur would greatly help ease poverty—the area to be governed would be reduced and easier to manage.

Teeming numbers of poor families are in the Partido area, in which development is very slow. The Fuentebellas ruled the area for over 100 years.

Arnulfo’s father Felix, the youngest brother of Jose, was governor of Camarines Sur from 1976 to 1986. Arnulfo, a second-generation Fuentebella entered politics in 1978 as a representative of the fourth district in the Batasang Pambansa during the martial law era.

He lost in the 1984 Batasang Pambansa election and made a comeback in 1992 elections and finished three terms as a lawmaker in 2001.

After that, he fielded his son Felix William “Wimpy,” who served for one term in Congress and was among the young legislators called the “brat pack” who initiated the move to impeach former chief justice Hilario Davide.

Arnulfo ran again as representative of the fourth district after Wimpy finished his one term and won the successive congressional races from 2004, 2007 to 2010. Wimpy ran but lost in the gubernatorial race in 2004 against LRay.

Fuentebella patriarch Don Mariano Fuentebella was a former gobernadorcillo of Sangay town and governor of Ambos, Camarines, during the American colonial era.

His dedication to government service was passed on to his sons: Manuel, Jose and Felix, who all served as lawmakers of the second and third Districts of Camarines Sur; and to the next, his grandsons: Arnulfo Fuentebella, current legislator of the third district of Camarines Sur, then to his great grandchildren—Felix William.

Felix William, son of Rep. Arnulfo Fuentebella is of the fourth generation of the clan whose ancestor, Jose Fuentebella, was a founding member of Nacionalista Party since the American occupation.

Wimpy’s great grandparents’ political career has been associated with former president Manual Quezon—the first president of the Philippine Commonwealth and president Sergio Osmeña—the second president of Philippine Commonwealth.

In the 2013 polls, Deputy Speaker Arnulfo Fuentebella is pitting his son Wimpy against movie actor Aga Muhlach to replace his House post.