STO. TOMAS CITY- SAYING she has too much respect for Rep. Maite Collantes, which she calls her “Tita Maite”, incumbent Tanauan City Mayor Angeline “Sweet” Halili has decided at the 11th hour to skip filing her certificate of candidacy for Representative of Batangas’ Third Congressional District.
Big surprise
Her announcement came as a big surprise to hundreds of her supporters who were gathered inside their sprawling residence early on the day of the final day of filing of certificates of candidacies on Friday, October 8.
And less than hour before that, someone close to Mayor Sweet even texted OpinYon Batangas: “Go na sa Congress si MASH (Mayor Angeline Sweet Halili). Mag-file na siya today (Oct. 8).”
Emotion-filled
But not until MASH came out of their residence and delivered what could be her most emotion-filled speech so far for her constituents.
“Malaki ang respeto ko kay “Tita Maite” (incumbent Rep. Maite Collantes). Tinuturing ko siyang pangalawang ina,” Mayor Sweet said.
“At sa halip, tutulungan ko na lang ang kuya Mark (elder brother of Mayor Sweet) sa kanyang kandidatura sa pagka-alkalde ng ating mahal na Lungsod. At hindi natin papayagan na mapunta sa mga Collantes ang Tanauan dahil tayo ang tunay na mga Tanaueño,” Mayor Sweet enthused.
In one way or another, the Halilis and Collanteses are related by their middle name, of Perez ancestry.
And this time, although there were numerous town mayors, councilors, and barangay captains from the 3rd District of Batangas urging her to run as a congresswoman, Mayor Sweet Halili stood firm in her decision to just support her brother’s candidacy for Tanauan City mayor.
Sad reality
But the sad reality, however, is that former congressman and husband of her “Tita Maite” Sonny Collantes filed a COC and is pitted against her Kuya Mark for the city’s mayoralty post.
And this, according to Mayor Sweet came as a bit of surprise to her and the Halili family.
Reliable sources said, former congressman Collantes owes a lot of debt of gratitude to the slain mayor Tony Halili, father of the incumbent mayor and mayoral candidate Mark.
A former barangay captain of Tanauan who is closely related to the Halilis, claims the father of MASH and Mark was instrumental on how Sonny Collantes pierced through, finally, after many tries, as representative of Batangas’ Third District in 2010.
Broken vow
In her message to Tanaueños last week, Mayor Sweet openly attacked her “Tito Sonny” for going against her brother, underscoring how the slain mayor and father Thony Halili never stopped supporting Collantes in all his congressional fights.
It can be remembered also that even in front of Mayor Halili’s coffin during his wake, Collantes promised that he will never stop taking care of his bereaved son and daughter until his death.
But, how is that? He is now the sole opponent of the Halili clan for the mayorship of Tanauan City,” the former barangay chairman said.
Magnanimous
"Too bad to think and remember it off! It also showed that the magnanimous effort of Mayor Sweet in delivering relief aids to the victims of the pandemic and Taal Volcano eruption to different towns of the district had no tinge of politics, but of a heartfelt action from her,” he continued.
“I just know that what he did breaks Daddy’s heart. To think even Daddy would never do this to his (Sonny Collantes) kids. Instead, our family would look after them and console them. I find it hard to ever forgive him. But only Tito Sonny. His family, I cannot blame nor do I have resentment towards the rest of his family,” MASH stressed in her speech.
But indeed, there is truth to the saying that in politics there are no permanent friends but only permanent interests.
Closed doors
In the same emotion-filled address Mayor Sweet also spilled the beans as she let it out and publicly hit for the first time the Collanteses’ refusal to extend a helping hand and closed their doors during the Taal Volcano disaster in January 2020, a critical time for all Batangueños as they struggled to rise above the calamity.
“Hinding-hindi ko yan makakalimutan. Ipinagdamot niyo (Collanteses) ang inyong eskuwelahan (Tanauan Institute) noong panahon na kailangang-kailangan ng mga evacuee ng lugar na masisilungan noong pumutok ang Bulkan Taal,” Mayor Sweet boomed.
“Ipinagdamot n’yo kahit man lang ang gym ng inyong eskuwelahan,” she said.
“Tapos ngayon gusto nyo pang mag-mayor ng Tanauan?”, Mayor Sweet enthused.
First term
Mayor Sweet is a first term local chief executive of Tanauan who wrested her post in 2019 via landslide following her father’s assassination on July 2, 2018, during a Monday morning flag-raising ceremony at the new city hall grounds in Barangay Natatas.
His father was killed by an unidentified shooter who was never apprehended or publicly named, though authorities have said at least three people were involved in the assassination.
Halili was the second Tanauan mayor assassinated, the first being Cesar Platon, who was slain in April 2001.
Congresswoman Maite Collantes, however, is not running unopposed.
Three other candidates filed their COC for the Third District and these are Erich John Bolinas (PPP), Nestor Burgos and Gerry Natanauan, both independents. (IAmi/OpBats)