Ecija families in political stints

CABANATUAN CITY - Political families in Nueva Ecija are presenting themselves to voters in pack in an apparent move to thwart future disagreement with non-relative officials.

The list 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. Nar­ciso 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