Ecija vice gov denies mayoral bid, says he may even quit politics

GAPAN CITY, Nueva Ecija – Vice Gov. Jose Gay Padiernos on Thursday denied eyeing the mayorship of this city and said he may even consider quitting politics altogether in 2016.

          Speaking to reporters during this city’s fiesta and his birthday celebration in Barangay Mangino here, Padiernos, more commonly known as GP, said he has not disclosed his political plans even as reports continue to circulate that he has been eyeing the position of governor, congressman or even mayor of his hometown.

          His supposed mayoral bid has spread like wildfire in the social media, and he was abandoning a third and last term to give way to the vice gubernatorial bid of outgoing second district Rep. Joseph Gilbert Violago, a close personal friend.

          Violago, earlier rumored running for governor, is reportedly contemplating on seeking the vice governorship to give way to former three-term fourth district congressman Rodolfo Antonino, father of incumbent Rep. Magnolia Antonino.

          Padiernos’ non-politician wife was also designated hermana mayor during this city’s fiesta, further fanning speculations about his mayoral bid. 

          Padiernos, a close ally of outgoing three-term Gov. Aurelio Umali, dismissed such reports as speculations, saying he has never mentioned anything about his purported plan to seek the governorship, the House or the mayorship.    

          “The elections are still too far away so let us work first,” he said. He said his supposed political ambitions have long been the subject of much speculations, dating back to 2010 when he was first elected vice governor as Umali’s running mate.

          The governor has declared that his wife, outgoing third district Rep. Czarina, will run for governor and is eyeing Padiernos as running mate.

          Padiernos said the governor’s camp has asked him to make known his political plans by next month.

          Padiernos said that he has several political options. “Of course, if I chose to, I may run for governor, vice governor, congressman or mayor. But I may also opt to quit politics. I can do that if only not to disappoint people who have been egging me to run for any of these posts,” he said.

          He said he has been talking with the governor and assured the latter he has not arrived at any political decision at this point. “I told the governor that if I will run for governor, I will come up to him, shake his hand and tell him I am running. It will come directly from me, not from anybody else,” he said.

          Padiernos said he has also talked with Gapan Mayor Maricel Natividad and assured her he was not eyeing her post. He said he thanked her for supporting his wife as hermana mayor.

          “I just told Mayor Natividad that I won’t eye her post for as long as she won’t seek my post also,” he said.

          He said he has been friends with political personalities in the province, from Umali, Antonino, who defeated him in the 2007 congressional polls and Violago .

          He admitted, however, that he is not close to Cabanatuan Mayor Julius Cesar Vergara, a former ally of Umali.

          Earlier, Vergara said his wife may also run for governor if this is the clamor of leaders from the political opposition in the province. (Manny Galvez)