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Ex-Cong. Pilapil |
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The public clamor for former Congressman Eduardo Pilapil to run once again for his old seat in 2007 is fast gaining momentum in the third district of Camarines Sur with municipal leaders in each of the ten towns in the district coming up with separate petitions urging his adoption as official bet of the Lakas-NUCD in the coming election. This was confirmed in an exclusive interview of The CRANE MONITOR with the former solon who said he is ready to respond to the wishes of party leaders. Atty. Amador L. Simando who himself ran for congressman in 1992 and lost by a hairline margin to Congressman Arnulfo Fuentebella said that for the administration to be able to score a shutout against the opposition in the congressional derby in Camarines Sur Pilapil should be the logical choice for the third district slot.
Administration candidates in the first, second and fourth districts are already conceded to be sure winners especially after Congressman Luis R. Villafuerte forged an alliance with Congressman Felix R. Alfelor, Jr and Iriga City Mayor Madeleine Alfelor-Gazmen. The third district, presently represented by Congressman Arnulfo Fuentebella, will however remain the bottleneck if no candidate with the caliber of Pilapil is fielded by the administration, Simando said.
Pilapil won as congressman in 1988, beating several touted aspirants that included the late Senator Edmundo B. Cea. He was the chosen candidate of then Governor Luis R. Villafuerte. Villafuerte will still mainly decide whom to pit against Fuentebella next year.
In 1992 Pilapil was drafted to run for senator in the ticket of President Fidel V. Ramos where he was unsuccessful.
A holder of a Master of Laws degree, Pilapil is known for his crowd-drawing prowess being an eloquent speaker with charismatic appeal.
“Pilapil has the best weapons needed to beat Fuentebella”, Simando, who believes up to this day that he was cheated in 1992, emphasized. “He only has to ensure that cheating is not committed this time”, he added.
Former Goa Vice Mayor Protacio Pena said Fuentebella is very vulnerable this time because of his lackluster performance and his frequent absences in Congress in the present term aggravated by his reported poor health.
Furthermore, the recently uncovered losses of the Partido Development Administration exceeding P100 million every year because the agency has been hiring do-nothing Fuentebella protégées will be very difficult to defend in public, according to San Jose Lakas stalwart Raymundo Dizon who will most likely run for mayor of the town.
