CALAMBA, one of the most progressive cities in Laguna province, was in for a surprise after the filing by political bets of certificates of candidacy (CoCs) two weeks ago.
The city, which has long been dominated by the political family of the Chipecos, was suddenly given the option of choosing not one, but three candidates for the city’s highest position.
The choices? The one anointed by the ruling family, a former comrade-turned-rival, and a former governor whose sudden decision to run has thrown everybody off-guard.
New face
Before the official filing of CoCs began last October 1, Calambeños had already taken it for granted that the mayoralty race in the 2022 elections will be a two-way battle between the Chipecos and incumbent Vice Mayor Roseller “Ross” Rizal.
Rizal will face off with Joey Chipeco, who has been chosen to succeed his brother, incumbent Mayor Justin Marc “Timmy” Chipeco.
The incumbent mayor will run for representative of the city’s lone legislative district, hopefully succeeding his father, Rep. Joaquin Chipeco.
Rizal, who has the backing of former Governor Teresita “Ningning” Lazaro (her son, Councilor Toti Lazaro, is his running mate) is said to be presenting himself as an alternative to a populace fed up with the dominance of a single political party in the country’s 9th highest-income city.
Surname and ancestry
The vice-mayor is also banking on his surname and ancestry – he claims to be a great-great relative of national hero Dr. Jose Rizal – as an asset for victory in the 2022 elections.
“Nais nating pangunahan ang isang pamahalaan na para talaga para sa mga tao, may puso at malasakit,” Rizal told reporters in an interview after he filed his CoC last October 7. “Nais rin po nating ayusin ang ilang mga serbisyo rito sa lungsod na sa tingin po natin ay napabayaan na.”
Some Calambeños who commented on OpinYon Laguna’s video brought up some issues such as the untidy city’s public market and unpaved roads.
Poverty incidence
Rizal also noted during the interview that despite millions in revenue, Calamba City has one of the highest “poverty incidence” rates in the province of Laguna.
This, despite the fact that the city reportedly earns billions in revenues due to the rise of large manufacturing hubs in the city in past years (P4,583,764,062.45 to be exact), according to a 2019 report conducted by the Commission on Audit).
“Gusto naming ibalik ang tiwala ng mga tao sa mga nanunungkulan,” Councilor Lazaro also said to reporters.
Dark horse
But what stunned many Calambeños – and many Lagunenses as well – is the sudden entry into the race of former Governor E. R. Ejercito.
While it was known that Laguna 3rd District Representative Sol Aragones will run under his banner with his son Jericho as her running mate, Ejercito has kept mum on his own plans for the 2022 elections – until a few days after the filing of CoCs started.
Gossip websites were the first to report the news, immediately zeroing in on the fact that Ejercito and his wife, Girlie “Maita Sanchez” Ejercito, will be running in two different locations in Laguna province – he in Calamba City, she in their home turf of Pagsanjan.
Power recoup?
Calambeños now suspect that ER Ejercito’s decision to run for mayor of the city was a move to recoup his political fortunes.
In 2014, the former governor was deemed to be barred from running for any public position after he was removed by the Sandiganbayan from his post as Laguna governor in 2014 due to “overspending” on his campaign ads in the 2013 elections.
Needless to say, Ejercito was so bitter at that decision that he tried to run again in 2016 against incumbent governor Ramil Hernandez – and lost, running third after Hernandez and Jorge Antonio Ejercito.
There was a conspiracy theory then that Jorge Antonio Ejercito – whose name sounded like ER’s screen name, Jeorge Estregan – was a candidate meant to siphon off votes intended for the former governor.
ER once again ran against Hernandez in 2019 but lost with a margin of over 400,000 votes.
Ejercito, it could be argued, might be trying to present himself as an “alternative” to the ruling families of Calamba City.
But, some thoughtful minds have asked, why Calamba City, where he has never lived before?
However, both Rizal and Chipeco seem undisturbed by the former governor’s entry into the city’s political scene, obviously believing that their track record and heritage are enough for Calambeños to choose either of them over an outsider.
“Bahala na po ang batas diyan,” Rizal replied after a question from the media on Ejercito’s candidacy.
“Ang sa amin lang po ay ang makapaglingkod ng tapat sa aming mga kababayan.”