Former GMA exec: Kampi is dead, even in Pampanga

ANGELES CITY, Philippines  – A former official in the Arroyo administration admitted yesterday that the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino or Kampi party is now “dead,” even in the former president’s home province of Pampanga.

Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan, who was the secretary for external affairs in Malacañang during the Arroyo administration, said Kampi is not expected to play a role in next year’s midterm elections.

Kampi was founded by former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 1996 and later became dormant until it was revived in 2004.

“Even Lakas (party) is dying,” Pamintuan said, referring to the Lakas ng Tao-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD), which formed an alliance with Kampi in 2009 before the national elections the following year.

The Lakas-CMD dropped Kampi only last May.

Pamintuan, who also served as chairman of the National Housing Authority and president of the North Railways Corp. during the past administration, has formed a local party called Partido Abe Kapampangan (ABE) with 20,000 members among his constituents in this city.

Pamintuan is a distant relative of President Aquino who hails from Kapampangan-speaking Concepcion, Tarlac, near the boundary with Pampanga.

The break-up of political leaders has surfaced in this province, with former allies Pamintuan and first district Rep. Carmelo Lazatin poised to clash in the mayoral race here.

Lazatin, who is set to run for reelection, said he would be an independent along with two candidates for the city council.

Last week, Pamintuan publicly endorsed the candidacy of Pampanga Vice Gov. Joseller Guiao in next year’s congressional race in the first district now occupied by Lazatin.

The conflict between Pamintuan and Lazatin continues to brew as the former has accused the latter of allegedly blocking P100-million funding for the upgrade of the seven-kilometer Friendship Road connecting the main highway of Clark Freeport to MacArthur Highway.

Pamintuan said the road was covered by unofficial donations from 17 families some years ago.

Except for the Lazatin family, the others recently formalized their deeds of donation so that the road could be nationalized and its repair funded by the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Pamintuan accused Lazatin of credit-grabbing after he announced the implementation of infrastructure projects worth P342.9 million the other day.

Pamintuan said it was he who had worked for the projects identified by Lazatin.