ANGELES CITY — Comebacking public servant Carmelo “Tarzan” Lazatin has earlier declared that he is considering running for City Mayor in 2019.
This was revealed during a meeting with some of the city’s village chiefs last November 6.
“Kung walang hahabol na credible para mayor, ako ang hahabol,” said the 82-year-old Lazatin, who is also planning to run next year for Barangay Balibago Barangay Captain.
If elected as City Mayor, Lazatin said he will immediately ask the City Council to pass a resolution naming the City’s Public Cemetery after Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan’s father, former City Vice Mayor Alberto Pamintuan. Lazatin said Pamintuan is envious since the Ospital Ning Angeles was named after Lazatin’s father, former Pampanga Governor and Assemblyman Rafael Lazatin. Pamintuan, on November 7 flag raising ceremony, assailed Lazatin for doing nothing for ONA except for naming it after the latter’s father.
“Huwag siyang mag-alala pag naupo tayong Mayor ulit, ipapangalan natin sa tatay niya ang overpriced niyang sementeryo,” Lazatin said.
Lazatin said he will also immediately ask the Commission on Audit to conduct a “full blown” investigation on the overpriced public cemetery worth P110 million funded by the loan proceeds from the Development Bank of the Philippines.
The overpriced public cemetery, Lazatin said, is a waste of government’s money since Pamintuan could just have opted to improve the services of ONA, which, sad to say, “is very anti-poor.”
“Pag nagpapaconfine ka sa ONA, hinihingan ang mga pasyente ng P6,500 deposit. Anong klase iyan?,” Lazatin said.
Lazatin said it is clear to him why Pamintuan prioritized the construction of the public cemetery since many will fall as casualties of the very poor services catered today by ONA.
“Ginawa siguro ni Mayor Pamintuan iyan dahil alam niya marami ang hindi magagamot sa ONA,” Lazatin said.
Lazatin is the first Angeles City Mayor to be elected for three consecutive terms from 1998 to 2007.
He also served as Pampanga First District Representative for five terms.
Last June, he announced that he will run for Balibago Barangay Captain next year.
Former Angeles City Mayor Carmelo "Tarzan" Lazatin.