Be careful with history

EDGARDO D. Pamintuan has earned the distinction of having bested the dynasties that ruled and reigned over Pampanga for so long, commencing in the immediate post-WWII period as a matter of record.

Last Monday, EdPam put an end to the political glory of Cong. Carmelo “Tarzan” Lazatin that began in his congressional win in 1987 and all through three terms in the House, onto three terms at the Angeles City hall and another term in Congress. A formidable feat there, Tarzan’s winning streak. No mean feat, EdPam’s breaking it.

In 2010, EdPam made incumbent city Mayor Francis “Blueboy” Nepomuceno blacker than blue, burying him in an avalanche of over 20,000 votes.

History written! Chorused EdPam’s myrmidons, beholding in their champion St. George slaying not one but two dragons.          

History re-written, more aptly.

The Lazatin and Nepomuceno dynasties – with the patriarchs themselves at the head – got their first beating in the local elections of 1988.

It was the last battle between Don Francisco G. Nepomuceno, incumbent city mayor, and Don Rafael Lazatin, member of the interim Batasang Pambansa dissolved in the aftermath of the 1986 EDSA Revolt.

Don Paquito had the distinction of unseating Apung Feleng as Pampanga governor at the close of the ‘50s.

It was Antonio “Bubusuk” Abad Santos – himself of the prominent clan that produced the martyr of WWII, the father of Philippine socialism, and a city mayor – that put a definitive end to all political aspirations of the aged lion Lazatin, and the outwitted fox Nepomuceno.

In 1988, the Nepomucenos were already a spent force, with Don Paquito losing the mayorship and his son Robin trounced in the gubernatorial race by Bren Z. Guiao. 

The Lazatins though still had Cong Tarzan, then just starting to develop his political muscles. 

The all-too-brief Abad Santos interregnum – all but one term – passed into the “triumph of the masa” in Pamintuan – yes, EdPam – in the election of 1992 and in his unprecedented – and still unmatched – victory in 1995, where a combination of the votes of all his five rivals still fell short of that he got.

It was to EdPam’s eternal chagrin that – against better political judgment – he resuscitated the Nepomuceno dynasty, taking in the then-apolitical Blueboy as running mate.

“Mete no ren. Oba’t bibiyayan mo pa. Datang ing panaun ila pa ren deng makamate keka (They are (politically) dead. Why are you reviving them? Time will come when they themselves will slay you (politically).” So did Tarzan warn EdPam then.

True enough, in 1998 Blueboy beat EdPam for the first congressional district seat. The favour the latter returned in the 2010 city mayoralty contest .

It was Tarzan’s turn to revive the beaten Blueboy with their tacit, if not outwardly tactical, alliance in the elections just past.

Santayana materializing here: “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

Someone re-phrasing it: “Those who learned from history are privileged to watch  those who did not repeating it.”        

Here lies the more historical sense of EdPam’s victory.

Bubusuk Abad Santos won against a Nepomuceno and a Lazatin engaged in a vicious war between them. EdPam won against a Nepomuceno and a Lazatin sharing a common front against him.   

So Tarzan lost. And Blueboy too. So that’s finis to their dynasties?

Not quite, to me.

There is city councilor Atty. Bryan Matthew Nepomuceno, Blueboy’s nephew, getting re-elected, a very strong Number 2.

There is Tarzan’s namesake, Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin II getting elected to the city council too, albeit at Number 9.

There’s the next generation of dynasts for you.

Yeah, a headline in our last issue says: “EdPam, Guiao shatter Lazatin, Nepo dynasties.” Shatter, yes. But it takes no time to pick up the pieces.   

As they say in merrie olde England, “The king is dead. Long live the king!”