Mother vs. son in Poblacion Oeste barangay polls
ALL IN THE FAMILY
THE incumbent chairman in Barangay Poblacion Oeste in Dagupan City, 82-year old Julita Vallejos, is facing her 41-year old son, Councilman Joseph Vallejos, in her re-election bid during the October 28 poll.
The younger Vallejos said he is pushing through with his candidacy against the advice of his brother, Councilor Guillermo Vallejos.
“My elder brother (Guillermo) wants me to give way to our mother and run instead for re-election as councilman but I told him I can not do this any more after sacrificing my ambition in the last barangay elections,” Joseph said.
Guillermo won in the 2010 election as barangay chairman and became president of the Liga ng mga barangay that automatically made him an ex-officio member of the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
Guillermo won as city councilor in the election last May, making their mother, being the number one councilwoman, as barangay chair.
“My brother ‘Emong’ wanted me to run for councilman and become number one so that I can succeed our mother who will leave her post after one year of her term. But I said no, since I am already ripe for the position,” insisted Joseph.
Joseph also said he and his siblings have been asking their mother to quit politics because of her age but she refuses to listen.
For her part, Lolita said in a separate interview that her son refused to heed her advice not to run against her whom the people still want.
“How can I turn my back on them (the people)?” she said.
The Vallejoses live in one compound but Joseph, with the political tension in the family, has since moved in a house within a fishpond property he is taking care.
MAYOR NOT INVOLVED
At the same time, Joseph denied he is being put up as a candidate for barangay chairman by Mayor Belen Fernandez, and pointed out that his decision was to run was solely his won.
Fernandez has also denied meddling in the barangay polls of Poblacion Oeste and asserted that she was not even aware that both mother and son filed for the same position.
The mayor said that it was unfair for her detractors to drag her in the family fray referring to an article in a national daily insinuating she goaded Joseph to run against his mother.
Another Vallejos sibling, Virginia Vallejos- Rosario, is currently the city engineer of Dagupan while her husband, Romeo Rosario, is the city development and planning coordinator.
Another candidate, Alfredo Ordonio, is up against the two Vallejos for the position of kapitan. (With report from Eva Visperas)
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
