Aquino endorses Pampanga mayor as LCP head

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga, Philippines – President Aquino has personally endorsed this city’s mayor, Oscar Rodriguez, for the presidency of the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) which is slated to elect its new set of officers this Saturday.

Mr. Aquino openly endorsed Rodriguez during his speech last Monday before some 100 city mayors who gathered in Malacañang.

“On various occasions, our ally Oscar Rodriguez has proved the importance of an active local leader in national progress. This he did through his industry way back when he was still a working student to finish law later,” the President said in his speech.

Rodriguez used to be an ally of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the Lakas-CMD party, but in the recent elections, he opted to support Mr. Aquino and joined the Liberal Party. He is now on his second term as mayor of this capital town.

In endorsing Rodriguez, the President said he hopes that the mayor would be able to help not just his constituents but also other Filipinos.

“He (Rodriguez) stood up against martial rule. He defended human rights,” he said.

Former finance secretary Jesus Estanislao, founder of the Institute for Solidarity in Asia (ISA), said Rodriguez’s election as LCP president “will open opportunities for the expansion of the public governance system in the country.”

The public governance system, as advocated by the ISA, is a management system developed by the Harvard University’s School of Business. It uses scorecards to identify objectives and measure success, and also engages private sector leaders in public governance.

Rodriguez was Pampanga’s third district congressman for three consecutive terms up to the 12th Congress.

He was the principal author of, among other legislation, the Dual Citizenship Law, Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003 and Republic Act 9173 which strengthens the country’s nursing profession.

Rodriguez was one of the 11 prosecutors in the impeachment trial of former President Joseph Estrada.