Representative Catalino
“Cata” Figueroa (Samar, 2nd-district) of the Nationalist Party who serially
announced his bid for re-election, also endorsed his wife, the incumbent
Zumarraga town mayor Neliptha M. Figueroa (Nationalist Party), who in turn
did not opposed, as the next governor come next year’s election.
Mayor Figueroa, it was
learned, was the incumbent president of the Samar Mayor’s League and
concurrently the regional president of the Mayor’s League of the Philippines
for Eastern Visayas, vice-president of the Lady Mayor’s League in the whole
Visayas, and the chairman in one of the committee’s – Committee on Trade and
Industry – of the Congressional Spouses Foundation, Inc. of the House of
Representatives.
In an interview, Rep.
Figueroa said he has with them to complete the lined-up incumbent
representative Dr. Reynaldo S. Uy (Samar–1st district), incumbent mayor Mel
Senen Sarmiento (Calbayog, the only city in this province), the “Solid Magic
Eight” mayors in the second district who, as of the moment, he refused to
divulged the names yet, and an “avalanche” of provincial board members, whom
he said, “bolted” from the provincial chief leadership.
“Feed-up over present poor governance”
Last March 4, while
addressing the more or less 300 community leaders of the different
organizations comprising the KALICAS (Katig-uban Han Mga Lideres Ug
Community Associations Han Samar) in the province that commemorated their
3rd year anniversary, both the Figueroa couple reiterated their (and their
party-member) dismay over the “poor governance” and “political priorities”
of Governor Milagrosa Tan.
“I challenge you all the
leaders to be more responsive to the calls for good governance,” Rep.
Figueroa in a high-pitched tone told the community leaders in a jammed
packed Conference Hall of the SSU-Mercedes Campus in Brgy. Mercedes, here.
He added: “You should be
more participative in the social issues especially in choosing government
officials to ensure that the basic needs of the people be effectively
addressed.”
The occasion, which also
served as “reunion” of the provincial leaders and community organizers,
became more hushed when the solon began exposing and lambasting the
“maladministration” of the present governor, which he said, making the lives
of the Samareños more “miserable and depressing.”
On the other hand, his wife
Neliptha narrated her achievements in her municipality which she said, she
can also do the same (infra developments) in the whole Samar province, the
reason why she was compelled to gave positive response to the “calling”- to
run as governor in next year’s election.
“I will not just walk or jog
either, but I will really run,” the lady mayor jokingly answered when asked
her plan on the possibility to run for a higher provincial seat in the 2007
elections.
It was noticeable that mayor
Neliptha, earlier, became more vocal on criticizing the kind Governor Tan
handled her administration and seemed to be ready to face Tan in the next
election’s hoping to win the support of the Mayor’s League and the general
public as voters.
Meanwhile, aside from
induction of the new set of officers and members of KALICAS, its political
arm – the KaPUSO was also launched in last March 4 anniversary celebration.
An open letter disseminated
by the KALICAS informed that KaPUSO will pursue its fight for a more
transparent political agenda, corrupt-free bureaucracy, clean and honest
elections and an empowered citizenry.
