Of Rizal Politics
They say all politics is local, and here in the province of Rizal, that statement couldn't be truer.
Politics in the town of Cainta, where I've lived all my life, plays a significant role in Rizal politics as a whole. To start off, our incumbent mayor is former ABS-CBN broadcaster Mon Ilagan. He's been mayor since 2004, and is running for his final term this May.
Ilagan's 2004 win was historic; he defeated incumbent Mayor Nick Felix, whose family has controlled the Cainta mayoralty since World War 2. That's almost 60 years of the same family ruling our town (save for the brief period in 1986 when Pres. Aquino appointed an OIC mayor).
Rizal: Ynares and Duavit
Rizal as a province is NPC country. NPC was formed by Danding Cojuangco in 1992 for his failed presidential run. NPC's current chairperson is incumbent Rizal Vice Governor Frisco San Juan, and its secretary general is outgoing Rizal 1st District Rep. Jack Duavit.
Incumbent Governor Jun Ynares is running for a 2nd term under NPC. His parents have both been Governors of Rizal. His father, Ito Ynares, was Governor from 1992 to 2001, and from 2004 to 2007. His mother, Nini Ynares, was Governor from 2001 to 2004. The brother-in-law of Jun Ynares is none other than Sen. Bong Revilla.
Rep. Duavit, congressman since 2001, is retiring after three terms. His father, Bibit Duavit, was congressman from 1992 to 2001, and almost became House Speaker in 1998. Bibit Duavit, a former GMA-7 executive, was also Assemblyperson for Region IV-B from 1978 to 1984, becoming Minister for Sports under Pres. Marcos.
Now that Rep. Duavit is retiring, his older brother Joel Duavit is running to replace him in Congress. He faces token opposition from Boy Naval, a perennial candidate who ran against Jack Duavit in 2007.
The Felixes
Francisco Felix was Mayor of Cainta from 1923 to 1941, then again from 1945 to 1980 (a main thoroughfare is named after him). His son, Ben Felix, was his own father's Vice Mayor from 1976 to 1980. Ben Felix then served as Mayor of Cainta from 1980 to 1986, then again from 1987 to 1998.
Ben Felix was elected Rizal Vice Governor in 1998, unsuccessfully running for Governor against Mrs. Nini Ynares in 2001. In 2007, he ran again for Mayor of Cainta against Mayor Ilagan, but narrowly lost.
Cuerpo vs. Ynares
Gov. Jun Ynares, 37, faces a stiff challenge against Rodriguez, Rizal Mayor Oscar Cuerpo (of landfill dispute fame), who is running with Atty. Steve Salonga, son of former Senate President Jovito Salonga (Jovito Salonga was Rizal 2nd district representative from 1961 to 1965).
. I read somewhere that Cuerpo is indeed giving Ynares a run for his money and both are tied in the polls. Cuerpo's campaign is pitiful. Running under LP, he has gotten practically no support from Noynoy Aquino. That's probably because in some bizarre twist, Aquino, together with Gibo Teodoro and Joseph Estrada have endorsed Ynares. WTH. Nag-party pa kayo, wala namang loyalty, even more at the local level.
But I feel Ynares knows his chances are being threatened. Thus the TV advertisements, the slick posters, etc. He wouldn't be spending so much if he knew his chances were secure.
Felix (Again) vs. Ilagan
The way I see it, Ilagan's re-election is secure. Despite the strength of the Felix name (there were clashes back in 2007 among Ilagan and Felix supporters, resulting into Cainta getting some television mileage in that election), in some parts of Cainta, former Mayor Ben Felix narrowly lost the election.
Ilagan is running against Barangay Capt. Willy Felix (someone I've never heard of) and Col. Paeng Altamera of LP. As far as I am concerned, the vice mayoralty race will be competitive. Incumbent Vice Mayor Atoy Sicat is running for re-election, and is being challenged by former Vice Mayor Jules Narag, who was Nick Felix's vice mayor from 1998 to 2004 and a 2007 mayoral candidate.
If Ilagan wins he would have had the distinction of having defeated three Felixes in a row (Nick, Ben, and Willy).
NP-NPC?
Parties in Cainta are confusing. Felix is running under the NP-NPC coalition, a coalition the Supreme Court recently declared void (The Felixes have always been political butterflies, having been once allied with Lakas-CMD, and I assume, with KBL, having been a local official under Marcos in the 1980s). He is therefore supported by Sen. Manny Villar. Ilagan is running under NPC. Now who's the real NPC candidate now? That's why NPC is so difficult to trust. Look at their current Senators (incumbent and candidates) and see how they reek of opportunism (i.e. Sotto, Escudero, Legarda, and the list goes on).
To add my beffudlement, I saw a poster of Ilagan's hands being raised by LP candidates Sens. Noynoy Aquino and Mar Roxas. What gives?
Other Rizal dynasties include the Rodriguezes (i.e. Senate President Eulogio Rodriguez, Sr.), the Tanjuatcos, and the Sumulong (i.e. Francisco Sumulong). One thing's for sure: Rizal is indeed a province to watch this coming May 10.
Politics in the town of Cainta, where I've lived all my life, plays a significant role in Rizal politics as a whole. To start off, our incumbent mayor is former ABS-CBN broadcaster Mon Ilagan. He's been mayor since 2004, and is running for his final term this May.
Ilagan's 2004 win was historic; he defeated incumbent Mayor Nick Felix, whose family has controlled the Cainta mayoralty since World War 2. That's almost 60 years of the same family ruling our town (save for the brief period in 1986 when Pres. Aquino appointed an OIC mayor).
Rizal: Ynares and Duavit
Rizal as a province is NPC country. NPC was formed by Danding Cojuangco in 1992 for his failed presidential run. NPC's current chairperson is incumbent Rizal Vice Governor Frisco San Juan, and its secretary general is outgoing Rizal 1st District Rep. Jack Duavit.
Incumbent Governor Jun Ynares is running for a 2nd term under NPC. His parents have both been Governors of Rizal. His father, Ito Ynares, was Governor from 1992 to 2001, and from 2004 to 2007. His mother, Nini Ynares, was Governor from 2001 to 2004. The brother-in-law of Jun Ynares is none other than Sen. Bong Revilla.
Rep. Duavit, congressman since 2001, is retiring after three terms. His father, Bibit Duavit, was congressman from 1992 to 2001, and almost became House Speaker in 1998. Bibit Duavit, a former GMA-7 executive, was also Assemblyperson for Region IV-B from 1978 to 1984, becoming Minister for Sports under Pres. Marcos.
Now that Rep. Duavit is retiring, his older brother Joel Duavit is running to replace him in Congress. He faces token opposition from Boy Naval, a perennial candidate who ran against Jack Duavit in 2007.
The Felixes
Francisco Felix was Mayor of Cainta from 1923 to 1941, then again from 1945 to 1980 (a main thoroughfare is named after him). His son, Ben Felix, was his own father's Vice Mayor from 1976 to 1980. Ben Felix then served as Mayor of Cainta from 1980 to 1986, then again from 1987 to 1998.
Ben Felix was elected Rizal Vice Governor in 1998, unsuccessfully running for Governor against Mrs. Nini Ynares in 2001. In 2007, he ran again for Mayor of Cainta against Mayor Ilagan, but narrowly lost.
Cuerpo vs. Ynares
Gov. Jun Ynares, 37, faces a stiff challenge against Rodriguez, Rizal Mayor Oscar Cuerpo (of landfill dispute fame), who is running with Atty. Steve Salonga, son of former Senate President Jovito Salonga (Jovito Salonga was Rizal 2nd district representative from 1961 to 1965).
. I read somewhere that Cuerpo is indeed giving Ynares a run for his money and both are tied in the polls. Cuerpo's campaign is pitiful. Running under LP, he has gotten practically no support from Noynoy Aquino. That's probably because in some bizarre twist, Aquino, together with Gibo Teodoro and Joseph Estrada have endorsed Ynares. WTH. Nag-party pa kayo, wala namang loyalty, even more at the local level.
But I feel Ynares knows his chances are being threatened. Thus the TV advertisements, the slick posters, etc. He wouldn't be spending so much if he knew his chances were secure.
Felix (Again) vs. Ilagan
The way I see it, Ilagan's re-election is secure. Despite the strength of the Felix name (there were clashes back in 2007 among Ilagan and Felix supporters, resulting into Cainta getting some television mileage in that election), in some parts of Cainta, former Mayor Ben Felix narrowly lost the election.
Ilagan is running against Barangay Capt. Willy Felix (someone I've never heard of) and Col. Paeng Altamera of LP. As far as I am concerned, the vice mayoralty race will be competitive. Incumbent Vice Mayor Atoy Sicat is running for re-election, and is being challenged by former Vice Mayor Jules Narag, who was Nick Felix's vice mayor from 1998 to 2004 and a 2007 mayoral candidate.
If Ilagan wins he would have had the distinction of having defeated three Felixes in a row (Nick, Ben, and Willy).
NP-NPC?
Parties in Cainta are confusing. Felix is running under the NP-NPC coalition, a coalition the Supreme Court recently declared void (The Felixes have always been political butterflies, having been once allied with Lakas-CMD, and I assume, with KBL, having been a local official under Marcos in the 1980s). He is therefore supported by Sen. Manny Villar. Ilagan is running under NPC. Now who's the real NPC candidate now? That's why NPC is so difficult to trust. Look at their current Senators (incumbent and candidates) and see how they reek of opportunism (i.e. Sotto, Escudero, Legarda, and the list goes on).
To add my beffudlement, I saw a poster of Ilagan's hands being raised by LP candidates Sens. Noynoy Aquino and Mar Roxas. What gives?
Other Rizal dynasties include the Rodriguezes (i.e. Senate President Eulogio Rodriguez, Sr.), the Tanjuatcos, and the Sumulong (i.e. Francisco Sumulong). One thing's for sure: Rizal is indeed a province to watch this coming May 10.