Outgoing Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo is the first nominee of Ang Galing Pinoy, while Dennis Pineda, the outgoing mayor of Lubao, Pampanga, is the group’s second nominee.
Each party-list group is entitled to a maximum of three seats in the House of Representatives, but the groups are required to submit the names of at least five nominees by March 26.
Bro. Mike Velarde, leader of the El-Shaddai Charismatic Movement, is the fifth nominee of Buhay. The first nominee is his son Mariano Michael. Another Velarde son, Rene, is an incumbent Buhay representative, who is on his third and last term.
A congressional seat is Velarde’s for the taking if Buhay wins seats in the House, according to Buhay Rep. Irwin Tieng, the group’s No. 2 nominee. Other Buhay nominees are Ignacio Jimenez and former Bulacan Rep. Willy Villarama.
“Any of us three is willing to yield to him. We all have a common goal,” Tieng said in a phone interview. “If the people want him (Mike Velarde), and there is a clamor to replace either one of us, we would step down for him.”
In case the group gets three seats, and the first three nominees could not serve or decide to relinquish their posts, the fourth or fifth nominee will replace them.
Disqualification case
So far, only 45 of the 187 accredited party-list groups have submitted the names of their five nominees to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
The Comelec said last week it would disclose the nominees of the party-list groups a day after the deadline. The release of the names will allow those against the nominees to file disqualification cases against them.
Civil society has decried the accreditation of a number of party-list groups, saying their officials do not represent the marginalized sectors and are only using the party-list system to get a share of the budget.
The party-list groups are entitled to 57 of 287 seats in the House.
Mikey Arroyo, a one-time movie actor, became the vice governor of Pampanga in 2001, and was elected congressman of the province’s second district in 2004 and 2007.
Married to his second cousin Angela Arroyo Montenegro in 2002, Mikey’s declared net worth ballooned from P5.7 million in 2001 to P74.4 million in 2004, and then to P99.2 million in 2008—an increase of more than 1,600 percent in seven years.
He said on national television in September last year that campaign contributions and wedding gifts were partly the reason his declared net worth had ballooned.
Mikey was accused of failing to declare in his Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth for 2007 and 2008 a beachfront house in Foster City, California.
Wife, sister for mayor
Dennis Pineda’s mother, Lilia, is a close supporter of the President. She ran in the 2007 gubernatorial race against Fr. Ed “Among Ed” Panlilio, an anti-administration candidate who won the election.
The Comelec recently declared Lilia Pineda the winner of the gubernatorial race after a recount last year. Panlilio has appealed the decision.
Dennis’ wife Yolanda is a reelectionist mayor of Sta. Rita, Pampanga, while his younger sister Mylene is running for mayor of Lubao.
Progressive party-list groups claim that Ms Arroyo’s allies are using the party-list system to gain House seats to support her supposed plan to return to power as prime minister.
Ms Arroyo, whose term ends on June 30 after nine years in Malacañang, is running for representative in the second district of her home province, Pampanga.
Kasangga, a party-list group representing micro-entrepreneurs, has for its nominee Maria Lourdes Arroyo, a sister of the President’s husband, Jose Miguel Arroyo.
1-UTAK, another group that earned the ire of the militants, has Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes as its nominee. The group is said to be working for the interests of the transport sector.
Buhay was the top vote-getter among party-list groups in the 2007 elections.
During Manny Pacquiao’s blockbuster match with Joshua Clottey, Velarde starred in the group’s TV commercial.
Relatives of other government officials are also nominees of party-list groups.
Ablan daughter, Lomibao’s wife
Anna Marie Ablan, daughter of Ilocos Norte Rep. Roque Ablan and honorary consul of Belarus, is the third nominee of Alliance of People’s Organizations. The group’s first nominee is former Ilocos Sur Rep. Salacnib Baterina.
Herminio Aquino, running mate of the late Sen. Raul Roco in the 2004 presidential election, is the first nominee of Sulong! Barangay Movement. He is an uncle of the Liberal Party standard-bearer, Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.
Jacky Rowena T. Lomibao, wife of former Philippine National Police chief and Land Transportation Office chief Arturo Lomibao, is the third nominee of Abono.
Dermatologist Manny Calayan, actor Leo Martinez, and Manila Standard Today reporter Jose Joel Egco are three of the five nominees of the group Alyansa ng Media at Showbiz.
Actor Juan Miguel “Onemig” Bondoc, of the show TGIF fame, is the fourth nominee of the group Bandila.
Against condom
Tieng said Velarde decided to be one of Buhay’s nominees because of the government’s distribution of condoms.
Buhay is known to be a pro-life group and an opponent of the reproductive health (RH) bill, which sought to promote both natural and artificial birth control methods through government programs.
“The final straw was the distribution of condoms. When I was in Congress, he would always ask us every time we would talk to block the RH bill,” Tieng said.
Tieng also said Buhay was a group distinct from El Shaddai, and Buhay was not a religious group. Religious groups are barred from becoming party-list groups.
“The only reason we are linked to El Shaddai is that Rene Velarde is our No. 1 nominee. There are Buhay party-list members that are El Shaddai. There are also members who are not El Shaddai,” he said.
But he acknowledged that Velarde has done a lot to help Buhay.
Other nominees of Ang Galing Pinoy are Romeo Dungca Jr., Jerold Dominick David and Ryan Caladiao.
David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer
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