Angeles City—Two mayoralty candidates ignored a series of public debate aimed to educate voters on their policies organized by the academe and non-government organizations here yesterday.
“In a functioning democracy, people must be involved in the decision-making process through a series of public debate,” Alexander Cauguiran, the mayoralty bet of local party Kambilan, said.
Cauguiran said refusing to engage in public forum is tantamount of ignoring people’s opinion, interests and expectations on how the city should be governed.
This was the reaction of Cauguiran for the non-appearance of Vice Mayor Bryan Matthew Nepomuceno and his running mate Edgardo Pamintuan Jr. during a forum sponsored by the Angeles University Foundation .
The three-term councilor Carmelo G. Lazatin Jr. who is also running as city mayor and his running mate Vicky Vega attended the forum.
Nepomuceno and Lazatin who ruled the city alternatively for several decades are now being challenged by Cauguiran, former chief of Clark International Airport Corp. and veteran street parliamentarian.
Vice Mayor Nepomuceno is a holder of political Science and law degree (Juris Doctor) and a dean’s lister from Ateneo de Manila School of Law while Lazatin is a holder of master’s in business administration from Republic Central College in Angeles City.
Cauguiran, is a holder of commerce and public administration courses from the Holy Angel University and held several executive positions both in national and local government including the private sectors.
The current Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan is now on his last term of office.
Another forum sponsored by Holy Angel University (HAU) and its Criminal Justice Organisation for Public Services (CJOPS) was cancelled because of non-appearance of Nepomuceno and Lazatin to enlighten the voters on their respective policy on good governance, transparency and accountability Cauguiran stressed.
No information was available from the camp of Nepomuceno and Lazatin on why they failed to attend the public forum.
In the forthcoming debate sponsored by Jaycees Culiat entitled Talastasang Culiat, Cauguiran accepted the invitation but no report if Nepomuceno and Lazatin will also attend the forum.
Cauguiran said that holding competitive and educated public forums will reduce the risk of power abuse to a minimum in any administration which is constantly supervised and held accountable by the people through debate.
In the first debate sponsored by the Rotary Angeles Culiat, all three candidates showed up but Cauguiran clobbered Nepomuceno and Lazatin.
Cauguiran added that Nepomuceno and Lazatin as vice and minority council leader respectively lost the challenge to explain to the people why and how the city accumulated an alarming Php 3.3 billion with an annual payment of Php273 million and limit to Php 4 million for medicine and Php 11 million for suppliers of Ospital Ning Angeles (ONA).
