Pardoned ex-Ecija lawmaker Josons campaign manager

GAPAN CITY, Nueva Ecija , Philippines   – Convicted of gun smuggling, losing his House seat and frustrated at a political comeback, this former Nueva Ecija congressman is dipping his hand again at politics, this time with a different tack.  

Former fourth district Rep. Nicanor de Guzman Jr., who was convicted of gun smuggling in 1990 and later granted pardon before launching an unsuccessful political comeback in 2004, is back in the political scene. He styles himself as a king-maker and campaign manager of the Josons’ gubernatorial standard-bearer in the 2010 elections.

De Guzman, more popularly known as “Mang Junior” among many Novo Ecijanos, said after hibernating from the political arena and making himself scarce from public view for five years, he would go out and campaign vigorously for comebacking former three-term Rep. Josie Manuel-Joson.

De Guzman and Manuel-Joson both hail from this city. Manuel-Joson’s father, Basilio Manuel used to be mayor when this city was still a town. A younger brother, Greg was once provincial jail warden and ran for mayor but lost to the incumbent Ernesto Natividad.

“Ngayon lang ako muling lalabas. Ikakampanya ko siya sa buong distrito. (It is only now hat I would go out. I will campaign for her in the whole district),” he said of Manuel-Joson, wife of former vice governor Mariano Cristino who lost to Umali in 2007.

De Guzman would join forces with the district’s incumbent, Rep. Rodolfo Antonino, who lost to him in the 1988 congressional fight. Antonino, a partymate of De Guzman in the Bagong Lakas ng Nueva Ecija, is a loyal ally of former President Estrada’s nemesis, President Arroyo.  

Without batting an eyelash, De Guzman said Manuel-Joson would prevail against incumbent Gov. Aurelio Umali to bring back the provincial leadership to the Josons. “Mananalo ‘yan, makikita mo (She will win,you’ll see),” he bragged.

Of late, De Guzman has been making himself visible outside of his hometown. He was seen at the municipal hall of Cabiao town to greet Ma­yor Abundia Garcia on her birthday recently.

Gun-smuggling

For five years, De Guzman merely stayed in his one-hectare residential compound in Barangay San Vicente here.

He was charged with gun smuggling when operatives of the Philippine Air Force Security Command seized 314 assorted firearms from him at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Sept. 5,1989.

The guns, wrapped in aluminum foil and contained in nine boxes, included six streetsweeper shotguns, .25 caliber and .45 Goldcup pistols and 9mm pistols. Five of the boxes were consigned to J.R. de Guzman and the rest to businessman Ponciano Datu.

De Guzman denied owning the boxes, saying he only had a suitcase when he arrived from the United States.