Feud looms over Ecija city's highly urbanized status

CABANATUAN CITY, Philippines  – The formidable alliance between Nueva Ecija Gov. Aurelio Umali and Mayor Julius Caesar Vergara is on the verge of collapse, with the two political giants headed for a showdown over the city government’s plan to pursue its bid for highly urbanized city status.

This developed after Umali has voiced objections to the HUC bid of the city which is being vigorously pursued by Vergara and his allies in the Sangguniang Panlungsod.

“I am against it (HUC) bid,” Umali told The STAR in a text message, fanning speculations of a possible breakup with Vergara.

When asked if he would wage a campaign against the HUC bid of the city just like what the Josons did in 1995, Umali did not reply.

The HUC bid was first launched in 1995 by then-mayor Manolette Liwag. Then President Fidel Ramos approved it but it was soundly rejected by Cabana­tueños in a plebiscite, whose anti-HUC bloc was led by the Josons.

If converted into HUC, Cabanatuan would no longer vote for governor in succeeding elections and would have its own representative in Congress. Resolutions approved by the SP would no longer be submitted to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for review and approval. 

Umali said, however, that Cabanatuan is still very much a part of Nueva Ecija, which, he said, is the city’s so-called “Big Brother.”

“I think that as of now, Cabanatuan cannot still stand on its own that’s why we are against its conversion into a HUC,” he said.

Umali’s younger brother, board member Anthony Umali said that his brother, nor stalwarts of the Unang Sigaw Partido ng Pagbabago of the governor were never consulted by Vergara on the HUC bid. “The mayor never told the governor anything about the purported plan for HUC conversion,” he said. 

Vergara said the HUC bid of the city would serve as the vehicle for its advancement.

He said it is high time to raise the economic stature of Cabanatuan.         

“All these we can do by being independent, free from political interference of self-serving politicians who treat us as pawns for their political pursuits instead of as partners for growth, progress and development,” he said, in an apparent dig at Umali.

Vergara is said to be capitalizing on his strong connections with President Aquino in pushing for HUC status. Vergara is an elementary and high school classmate of P-Noy at Ateneo.