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ABANATUAN CITY: The issue of political dynasties is
apparently not a serious concern for Novo Ecijanos as provincial and
municipal officials running for key positions in the May polls have
fielded their closest family members.
Among them are Mayor Antonio
Esquivel for mayor with his son, Tony Boy for vice mayor in Jaen
town; Mayor Lucio Uera with son Charrys in Pantabangan; Mayor Nestor
Alvarez of the Science City of Muñoz has his former mayor brother
Efren; Mayor Marcial Vargas of Aliaga has his wife, Beth as running
mate.
The Josons first encountered
trouble with Vice-Gov. Narcisio Nario, now with the Philippine
Commission on Good Government, when the patriarch, the Gov. Eduardo
L. Joson died in early 90’s. Nario initially resigned from the
position to give way to Tomas 3rd who was then senior board member
in the succession but later retracted.
When another Joson, Eduardo
Nonato was elected with businessman Oscar Tinio as vice-governor, he
sustained series of suspension attempts with the latter siding with
their political archrivals.
This prompted Tomas 3rd to field
his younger brothers, Eduardo IV and Mariano Cristino, in 2001 and
2004 elections, respectively, where they won and finished terms
without much bickering.
This election, as Tomas 3rd runs
for the Cabanatuan City mayoralty post, Mariano Cristino is
running for governor with nephew, senior board Member Edward Thomas
as running mate.
In Jaen, Esquivel has been
replaced at the town hall since January by Vice-Mayor Santiago
Austria after the former was ordered dismissed by the Ombudsman
while Uera is in a deadlock with his vice-mayor in Pantabangan.
When Beth Vargas was elected
mayor with an opposing party at the vice- mayor’s office, she
claimed to have her projects derailed, prompting the couple in 2004
to launch their husband-and-wife tandem, which they succeeded.
Meanwhile, Mariano Cristino’s
rival for governor, Third District Rep. Aurelio Umali has his wife
running for the Congressional seat.
Former Fourth District
representative Julita Villareal who is geared for a comeback has her
sons, Jojo and Chris, for board member and Mayor of San Isidro town,
respectively.
 --Armand
M. Galang
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