Politics in San Pedro City, Laguna has always mirrored the larger national scene: colorful, contentious, and driven as much by personalities as by policies.
But the city’s early fixation on the 2028 elections is already casting a long shadow on governance, distracting officials from their immediate responsibilities.
It’s no secret that in the Philippines, preparations for the next elections often start even before the results for this year’s polls are counted and ratified.
And in San Pedro City, seen as a potential battlefield for the 2028 presidential elections, the battle lines that are being drawn also reflect the long-term preparations being done in the national arena.
A clash inside the Sangguniang Panglungsod
The recent clash between city councilors Mike Casacop and Leslie Lu clearly illustrates the problem.
Last September 23, during the regular session of San Pedro’s Sangguniang Panglungsod, Casacop lashed out at Lu and fellow councilor Vivi Villegas over issues that, in ordinary circumstances, could have been settled through quiet discussion.
It all started with an alleged remark made by a staff of Casacop in front of Lu, Villegas, and some other local officials over some internal rules during a committee hearing a few days prior.
After the incident, Lu allegedly reprimanded the staff for breaking protocols on courtesy.
However, Casacop’s privilege speech turned the incident into what he claimed was an ugly confrontation between the councilor and his staff.
The councilor even went as far as asking the Sanggunian to endorse the issue at the committee level, "upang pag-usapan ang bawat issue, maitama ang hindi pagkakaunawaan at managot ang may pagkakasala kung ito ay hindi maisasaayos."
We will not go into details regarding the incident, in the interests of privacy and public courtesy.
But what is clear is this: what should have been a routine matter involving city employees instead escalated into public confrontation, sowing unnecessary animosity in the Sangguniang Panglungsod.
Ambition over responsibility
It is no secret that Councilor Casacop, now on his third consecutive term, has his eyes set on a higher office.
Term-limited officials naturally look for their next political step, whether in Congress or City Hall.
But such ambitions must never compromise decorum, respect, and the efficient use of legislative time.
The people of San Pedro deserve leaders focused on service, not self-promotion.
The 2028 battlefield
Talk has been circulating that Casacop may challenge incumbent Laguna 1st District Congresswoman Ann Matibag for the city’s lone congressional seat.
Some speculate he sees Matibag, now on her second term, as a vulnerable opponent, while considering fellow Councilor Lu a more serious threat to his political future.
If true, this political calculus would help explain the sharpness of his rhetoric in recent weeks.
A call to serve today
Politics will always be part of public life, and the 2028 elections will come soon enough.
But the current mandate of San Pedro’s officials is to govern, legislate, and address the pressing concerns of their constituents.
Petty squabbles and premature positioning do nothing to solve traffic, housing, flooding, or other urgent problems facing the city.
Our call is simple: let today’s work take precedence over tomorrow’s campaigns. There will be a proper time for politics.
For now, San Pedronians deserve nothing less than the full attention and commitment of those they elected to serve.
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