By CITIZEN JOURNALISTS (CJ) – PAMPANGA
SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga.—Saying “my kabalens are intelligent voters,” Filipinas Sampang, independent candidate for the 2nd district, believes she stands a chance against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the congressional race.
As one of three Kapampangans challenging Arroyo for the congressional seat, the 48-year-old Sampang said there is a “great opportunity of beating GMA because the people of the province are tired of her.”
“They can see through her motives. What GMA intends to do is an open secret. She wants to be a congresswoman to escape her legal problems,” she said.
Like some political analysts who have expressed fears that Arroyo is eyeing the speakership as a prelude to a constitutional change that would make her prime minister, Sampang said, “The perpetuity in power of one person is dangerous to our fragile democracy.”
Offering herself as an alternative choice to the electorate, she said: “I have 25 years of public service, equipped with two master’s degrees in Management and in Public Administration. This is a moral crusade.”
Sampang, who has been seen campaigning with Bangon Pilipinas Party candidates led by Bro. Eddie Villanueva, offers a development agenda for the 2nd district of Pampanga. This includes economic self-sufficiency for indigenous peoples, infrastructure, livelihood and scholarships for the district’s six municipalities.
Lubao, hometown of Arroyo’s late father former president Diosdado Macapagal, has the biggest number of voters in the 2nd district: 73,536 registered voters in 44 barangays. The district has 277,825 registered voters from 159 barangays.
Aside from Sampang, the two other congressional hopefuls are Adonis Simpao of the Liberal Party and independent candidate Feliciano Serrano.
As the campaign period nears its homestretch, Arroyo had her first sortie in the 2nd district on April 24. She appeared before an assembly in Lubao in the company of close friend and ally, gubernatorial candidate Lilia Pineda, wife of alleged jueteng lord Rodolfo “Bong” Pineda.
Before announcing her candidacy, Arroyo was noted to have visited the 2nd district of Pampanga at least 50 times last year, bringing various “gifts” to her kabalen in the form of budgets for infrastructure, livelihood and other projects.
Sampang said there had been initial talks among the three on the possibility of uniting against Arroyo by coming up with a lone opposition candidate.
She said she was willing “to subsume personal interest for the sake of national interest in defeating GMA.” The talks, however, did not prosper.