Ex-dad to challenge Oretas in Malabon

MANILA, Philippines - A former councilor who previously served three consecutive terms is out to challenge the nephew of Mayor Canuto “Tito” Oreta of Malabon City for the post of vice mayor.

Pablo “Pol” Cabrera Sr., who was Malabon City councilor from 1995 to 2004, decided to stage a political comeback after a six-year hiatus “to give local voters a choice and to leave a legacy of good governance to the younger generations.”

Running as an independent candidate, Cabrera will face Councilor Antolin “Len-Len” Oreta III, the mayor’s nephew.

The older Oreta, for the second time, will seek a third and last term as mayor of Malabon City unopposed, his spokesman Bong Padua said. 

Cabrera, banking on his experience and achievements during his nine-year term by increasing Malabon’s 18 cooperative stores to 60 stores, and by passing ordinances on consumer protection, said the residents deserve “another name at sensitive posts in the city to maintain a check and balance in governance.”

According to Cabrera, the new election system would be less expensive and would “minimize if not totally eradicate” cheating.

“Because of election automation, a candidate no longer needs to hire hundreds of poll watchers and cheating and the danger of ballot-snatching would now be over,” he said.

Cabrera said the Oretas have done many improvements in Malabon in terms of infrastructure and construction but he wants to generate jobs for ordinary workers. – Pete Laude