Manny Galvez
CABANATUAN CITY – Political archrivals,
Nueva Ecija Gov. Aurelio Umali and former vice governor Edward Thomas Joson met
and greeted each other during a chance encounter after several years in the
wake of Vice Gov. Jose Gay Padiernos’ mom in Taguig City.
Umali
and Joson, eldest son of former four-time governor Tomas Joson III, came across
each other at the wake of Francisca Garcia-Padiernos at the Heritage Park in
Taguig Sunday night.
The
governor came to the wake with his wife, third district Rep. Czarina Umali while
Joson came with his cousins, Board Member Rey Joson and Quezon Mayor Dean
Joson.
A
board member who was privy to the meeting said the archrivals were cordial to
each other and exchanged pleasantries after Vice Governor Padiernos sidled up
to the governor and informed him about the presence of the Josons.
The
Umalis and Josons sat on two separate tables during the occasion which also saw
the presence in separate nights of several high-profile visitors, guests and
well-wishers, including Vice President Jejomar Binay, Sen. Nancy Binay and
political leaders from the province, including Reps. Magnolia Antonino and
Joseph Gilbert Violago, former allies of Umali.
Antonino’s
father Rodolfo, a former three-term congressman, is running for governor
against Czarina.
Governor
Umali and Edward Thomas twice squared off in the bitterly contested 2001
congressional and the 2010 gubernatorial elections. Both times, Umali emerged
victorious.
It
was Umali who ended the 48-year reign of the Josons at the Capitol when he
defeated Edward Thomas’ uncle, former vice governor Mariano Cristino in the
elections.
Aside
from beating Edward Thomas and Mariano Cristino, Umali also defeated Mariano
Cristino’s wife, former four-term first district Rep. Josefina Manuel-Joson in
the 2013 gubernatorial polls.
In
a talk with reporters, Umali downplayed the meeting, saying it has been
customary on his part to meet and greet with people from the other political
camp.
“Yes,
it was the first time we met after a long time. If he (Edward Thomas) was
condoling with the family of the Padiernos, I, too, am condoling,” he said.
He
said that in the past, he has also come across the other Josons like Tomas III,
Mariano Cristino and former congressman Eduardo Nonato and he had seen to it
that they greet each other, in spite of their past political encounters.
“I
can’t be accused by anybody of being arrogant because I go out of my way to be
cordial with them and with everybody,” he said.
For
his part, Vice Governor Padiernos said the meeting is a demonstration that
political leaders in Nueva Ecija are one big family. “Irregardless of our
political affiliations, still we are a family and that’s why politics can’t
divide us,” he said.
He
said he was not playing politics. “If I would be playing politics, then I would
have brought the remains of my Mom in my hometown in Gapan City but I did not,”
he said. – Manny Galvez
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