PAMPLONA, Camarines Sur – A lesser-known younger brother of former First lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos, who has lived for more than 20 years in Barangay Tambo in this town, is running for the post of Punong Barangay (village head) in the Barangay polls this month.
Seventy six year-old Armando Romualdez, known owner of over 700 hectares of farm lands within his adopted Barangay, says his candidacy as the Barangay chairman of Tambo is his opportunity to enter public service.
Romualdez said that he has the influence and connection to be a Barangay official, claiming that his sister Imelda Marcos, who is now representative of Ilocos Norte, and 2 nephews in the Senate and Lower House would surely help him succeed in his new job.
He adds that he is willing to donate some of his farm lands to provide livelihood in agriculture to many impoverished farmers, noting the widespread poverty in this locality.
But local sources here said that incumbent Tambo Barangay captain Domingo Briones, who is regional ABC Federation president, is set to challenge Romualdez.
Earlier this year, Briones dared Romualdez to make good his promised land donations and promised in return to forego with his own candidacy and endorse Romualdez for Punong Barangay instead.
Romualdez is married to a Bicolana from this locality and is reported to have worked very hard to retain his vast land holdings in the area during the Cory Aquino administration.
His rival, Briones, is identified with former Governor Luis Raymund “L-Ray” Villafuerte.
Another contender for the Punong Barangay post is Nilda Donacao, a first-termer Barangay kagawad.
Barangay Tambo is the second largest village in Pamplona, Camarines Sur, with 1,840 registered voters.(SONNY SALES)