Angara says Capitol bid fueled by Aurora mayor’s clamor

BALER, Aurora, September 22, 2012–The cat is finally out of the bag.

Sen. Edgardo Angara – the longest-serving senator in the post-Edsa Senate – who is reportedly eyeing the governorship in 2013, said his Capitol bid was spurred by an overwhelming clamor from majority of the mayors in the province.

Saying he was a “reluctant candidate” who has no gubernatorial ambitions, Angara said that contrary to reports, he was never interested in the post but was forced to seek the governorship because of the endorsement of the municipal mayors.

“In fact, I was the one who proposed a Noveras-Angara tandem which I considered unbeatable. But our political leaders rejected that. Instead, they endorsed me to run for governor,” he said.

He was referring to the supposed tandem between Vice Gov. Gerardo Noveras and his nephew, Rommel Angara which was floated a year ago.

Noveras has since declared he was running for governor, refusing to back out even following a series of backdoor negotiations with the senator’s camp. 

Angara, in an earlier interview said if his younger brother, Baler Mayor Arthur Angara did not stand a chance against Noveras, he would look for somebody else to pit against the latter. But he had an apparent change of mind following the endorsement he received from the mayors.

“I am not really obsessed with the governorship. But there was a clamor from among the mayors of Aurora which snowballed to a point that I have to reconsider. They said that my running would be the only assurance of the continuity of the development programs we have successfully mapped out and implemented in Aurora,” he said.

Angara’s younger sister, Gov. Bellaflor Angara-Castillo is on her third and last term and is seeking a return stint in the House of Representatives where she previously served three terms as congresswoman representing the lone congressional district of the province. 

While he has not made public his decision to seek the governorship, Angara has reportedly already made it “final” and made it known to his close circle of political allies and friends, including deposed former President Joseph Estrada under whose administration he served as agriculture secretary.

Over the past month, the senator has shown telltale signs that he would indeed run for governor.

Last August 13, during the 31^st foundation anniversary and 27^th annual general assembly of the Aurora Electric Cooperative at the Aurelco headquarters in Barangay Reserva where he and Noveras were among the guests, Angara created a stir among the large crowd in attendance when he donated four tricycles during the raffle, drawing cheers from participants.   

Last September 8, during the closing ceremonies for “Aurora Plays Football (APF)” - a football program he launched for kids in the province - he stayed around longer than usual at the Baler Central School. He was even the one who gave the medals to the young players from the various football teams.

“He was not the type who would stay long in social gatherings. That shows you how serious he is in his gubernatorial bid,” a relative said.

Last September 14, during the testimonial dinner tendered by the UP Law Alumni Association at the Manila Polo Club in honor of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, the lady emcee, lawyer Ma. Celia Fernandez-Estavillo, his former senatorial chief of staff, introduced him as the “future governor of Aurora.”

Angara looked amused but jested that it was a “propaganda of Bella,” referring to Angara-Castillo.      

Angara-Castillo stressed his brother’s running would enable the provincial government to finish all the projects she started when she first ruled the Capitol in 2004. “Based on what they (leaders) have seen, it will take somebody like Senator Angara to expedite all the development projects in Aurora,” she said. (Manny Galvez)