| Peñas admits receiving offer to join Lakas party |
| Written by Eldie S. Aguirre | |
| Thursday, 26 June 2008 | |
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Vice-Mayor Joseph Peñas admitted receiving invitation from Lakas Provincial Chairman Douglas Cagas to join his party as he confirmed hatching plans to bid for the mayoral post of this city.
“Yes, I received invitation from Governor Cagas. But I’m still doing assessment to that. I am still an NPC (Nationalist People’s Coalition) until now,” Peñas said in an interview.
Peñas said he would not bolt from his current party affiliation without consulting the NPC leaders and his followers all over the province. “That is not yet definite”, he said referring to rumors he already took his oath before the governor.
The vice-mayor also confirmed plans to run for city mayor in 2010. “I already conferred this to Mayor (Arsenio) Latasa where he gave me a go signal,” Peñas said.
“I would be hypocrite if I will deny my interest to the mayoral post. I am preparing this thing for the past 20 years in my government service as elected official of the province and the, then, Digos town until it became a city,” he said.
Peñas said he presumed Latasa will no longer run for mayor in 2010 after giving his consent over his interest to bid for the mayoral race.
Meanwhile, in a media interview, Latasa explained the blessing he gave to Peñas was not a party (NPC) decision but in his personal capacity.
Latasa who is an NPC official said a party endorsement is a result of a standard process involving its officers and members.
“We are living in a democratic society. Everybody has the right to decide where and what he wanted to,” Latasa said referring to the reported shift of Peñas’ party affiliation.
The mayor said he would face all its consequences at the right time. “At this point I would focus on the development of the city and the welfare of my constituents”.
On the other hand, Peñas said there is a big probability of a head-on-collision between him and the mayor by 2010 since Latasa is still available to run for another term.
“Contrary to the belief of others that the mayor has exhausted his terms of office; in my capacity as a lawyer Latasa still has one available term beyond 2010,” Peñas said.
Latasa has been in the local executive post since 1992. His term was prolonged when Digos was converted into a city on September 8, 2000.
His term supposed to end on July 2001. But he ran and won the mayoral post prompting the legality of his actions. In 2004, just few months before the elections, the court declared his candidacy as null and void.
Latasa turned over the position to Peñas and bid for the mayoral post in 2004 and 2007 where he emerged as victor in those consecutive elections. (With reports from Nilo Mercado) |