BY PRINCE GOLEZ
Manila Reporter
MANILA – Iloilo 5th District’s Cong. Niel “Jun-jun” Tupas Jr. expects his siblings to comply with their father’s wish.
“With the statement of Tatay, all of us will toe the line,” said the three-termer congressman.
Their father, former governor Niel Tupas Sr. said he would support whoever the congressman endorses to be the next representative of the 5th District in Congress.
In politics, the Tupas family should be “united”, insisted Cong. Tupas Jr.
He shrugged off his younger brother, Vice Gov. Raul Tupas’ supposed plan to run against his choice of successor in 2016.
On Tuesday, Vice Gov. Tupas said he respected his father’s statement but reiterated that he also valued his advice to be a principled man and fight for what he believed was right.
Still, Cong. Tupas insisted on the categorical declaration of the Tupas patriarch: “Sia (Cong. Tupas Jr.) ang may poder mag-endorso kon sin-o ang mabulos sa iya.”
It is widely believed in the 5th District that Cong. Tupas Jr. wanted his wife, Atty. Yvonne Angeli Lee-Tupas to run for congresswoman.
The congressman advised his siblings to just “focus on their jobs.”
Most of them are in public service, added Cong. Tupas Jr.
While Raul is the vice governor of Iloilo, another brother, Niel III is the mayor of Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo.
Nielo sits as Iloilo Sangguniang Panlalawigan member, Niellette “Tweety” Tupas-Balleza is a national consultant of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, while Nielex is an Iloilo City councilor.
According to Cong. Tupas Jr., their father’s “definitive statement” should “put an end to speculations about the unity of our family.”
“The interest of our constituents is foremost and the interest of our family is only subordinate to it,” he added.
Tupas-Balleza was the most vocal about the perceived political intramurals in their family. She whipped up a storm of political intrigue for a series of Facebook posts in February against her congressman brother’s plan to make his wife run for congresswoman in the 5th District.
The 5th District in northern Iloilo considered the political bailiwick of the Tupases.
Made up of the municipalities of Ajuy, Balasan, Barotac Viejo, Batad, Carles, Concepcion, Estancia, Lemery, San Dionisio, San Rafael, and Sara, the district has a population of 382,041 as of the 2007 census.
Cong. Tupas Jr. said he was grateful to his father for backing him up on his future political plans.
“I thank Tatay for his trust and confidence in me as his eldest son and congressman of the 5th District,” he said./PN
