Ecija vice governor denies eyeing mayorship of Gapan City

GAPAN CITY, Nueva Ecija, Philippines – Vice Gov. Jose Gay Padiernos on Thursday denied eyeing the mayorship of this city, saying he may even consider quitting politics altogether in 2016.

Speaking to journalists during this city’s fiesta and his birthday celebration in Barangay Mangino here, Padiernos said he has not disclosed his political plans even as reports continue to circulate that he is eyeing the position of governor, congressman or even mayor of his hometown.

Padiernos’ supposed mayoral bid has spread in the social media, purporting that he is abandoning a third and last term to give way to the vice gubernatorial bid of outgoing second district Rep. Joseph Gilbert Violago, a close personal friend.

Violago, earlier rumored to be running for governor, is reportedly thinking of seeking the vice governorship to give way to former three-term fourth district congressman Rodolfo Antonino, father of incumbent Rep. Magnolia Antonino.

Padiernos’ non-politician wife was also designated as “hermana mayor” of this city’s fiesta celebration, further fanning speculations about the vice governor’s mayoral bid. 

Padiernos, a close ally of outgoing three-term Gov. Aurelio Umali, dismissed the reports as mere speculations, saying he has never mentioned anything about his purported plan to seek the governorship, congressional seat or the mayorship.    

“The elections are still too far away so let us work first,” he said, adding that his supposed political ambitions have long been the subject of much speculation since 2010 when he was first elected vice governor as Umali’s running mate.

Umali has declared that his wife, outgoing third district Rep. Czarina Umali, will run for governor and is eyeing Padiernos as running mate.

Padiernos said the governor’s camp has asked him to make known his political plans by next month.

Padiernos said he has several political options. “Of course, if I choose to, I may run for governor, vice governor, congressman or mayor. But I may also opt to quit politics. I can do that if only not to disappoint people who have been egging me to run for any of these posts,” he said.

He said he has been talking with Umali and assured him that he has not arrived at any political decision at this point. “I told the governor that if I will run for governor, I will come up to him, shake his hand and tell him I am running. It will come directly from me, not from anybody else,” he said.

Padiernos said he has also talked with Gapan Mayor Maricel Natividad and assured her that he was not eyeing her post. He said he thanked her for supporting his wife as “hermana mayor.”