Lim to challenge re-electionist Non

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By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ

JOSE Panganiban Vice-Mayor Ariel Non, a re-electionist, is facing a formidable foe in the local elections next year.

Former three-term mayor William A Lim will contest the post of vice-mayor, according to political observer Aldrin Toribio, a Mambulaoan who is based in Ireland, quoting political sources in Jose Panganiban in his postings on Facebook recently.

Lim has his own “balwarte” of solid supporters -- a perk he won during his three terms as the top municipal executive.

Toribio said Non would be in trouble slugging it out with Lim.

This is because Lim has his own solid camp of voters and who could get some more swing votes from the Padilla camp who would want another vice-mayor after the May 2013 local elections, according to Toribio’s political analysts in Mambulao.

At the moment, Non is just piggybacking on the popularity of Padilla’s community projects and governance, according to sources reached by MWBuzz.

Although political observers said the current vice-mayor was “working hard” to push the implementation of Padilla’s various projects such as baranggay roads and bridges, farm-to-market road projects and others, such efforts would not be enough to deliver votes that would match or eclipse the votes that Lim has stashed from his “loyalist” camp.

The former mayor has decided to forego his ambition to return to the mayoral post now held by Mayor Ricarte Padilla, a first term-mayor, to allow him to seek re-election, according to Toribio, still attributing his observation to politicians close to the Lim camp.

Toribio said that Padilla right now has no clear challenger and would not have a credible opponent at all come May 2013 elections.

Political sources said that Lim would allow Padilla to finish his various projects in the community – apparently referring to the road concreting efforts in all baranggays and other public works.

Padilla had earlier hinted to MWBuzz that he would need another six years, or two more terms after May 2013, to finish what he has started.

Then, he could move up by eyeing the governor’s or congressman’s post in the province of CamNorte.

By then, after another six years of waiting, Lim would be ready to take on the mayoral post in the next polls.

Meantime, he will have to challenge Non, confident that he will win the elections hands down, Toribio said, attributing Lim’s plan to political observers in Mambulao.

Padilla had told this reporter in a Facebook message sometime ago that he will carry Non to victory “because he needed him for his various community projects”.