Mayor Crisostomo Garbo (right) of Mabalacat City files his COC together with runningmate Vice Mayor Atty. Gerald “Geld” Aquino. The reelectionist mayor is widely known for donating patrol cars and ambulances to other towns of Pampanga province from the city coffers. Photo by BERNARD GALANG
Mabalacat mayor seeks reelection
MABALACAT CITY — Mayor Crisostomo Garbo is seeking reelection for his second term.
Garbo along with Vice Mayor Gerald Guttrie Aquino and their lineup of councilors filed their Certificates of Candidacy (COC) at the Commission on Elections (Comelec ) Mabalacat City on Thursday to seek fresh mandates for the 2022 elections.
His reelection bid comes on the heels of the recent donation of police patrol cars to 19 towns of Pampanga and to the PNP Pampanga Provincial Office (PPO). The province has 21 towns and cities, including this city, the cities of San Fernando and Angeles.
Last month, Garbo made true his pledge to former Pampanga Governor Lilia Pineda to apportion city’s local resources to aid other LGUs as Mabalacat from its share in the Gross Income Earned (GIE) from Clark locator-firms. This city receives an average of P700 million as GIE, representing 2 percent share per RA 9400. Aside from the patrol cars, this city also donated 16 ambulances since 2020, including to LGUs where it has sisterhood agreements.
Garbo, together with Pampanga Governor Dennis “Delta” Pineda, turned over a total of 20 brand new police patrol cars to Pampanga police stations across the province on September 3, 2021. 19 were given to LGUs while one was assigned to the PPO.
No less than Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar received the Nissan Navara pickup trucks and witnessed by chiefs of police in the province. Aside from the patrol cars, Mabalacat City also turned over brand new M16 UDMC rifles to the PNP.
Garbo said the donated units of police mobile will help boost police visibility, safety and public order not only in Mabalacat City but in Pampanga as a whole. He added, “we can only succeed in making our respective localities peaceful and livable if we take that unified stride together.”
“Napakaganda na ito ay gayahin sa ibang pagkakataon at sa ibang lugar kung kakayanin din lamang. Napakaswerte [at] pinagpala ang Mabalacat City for having the support particularly from Clark,” the PNP chief said.
Garbo is gunning for his second term as mayor of the component city. Under his administration, he ushered in “Bayung Mabalacat” or “New Mabalacat”, where he initiated people-centric governance that propelled various public service programs and extended it to the grassroots level.
Better social services, improved economic conditions, more infrastructure projects, unparalleled medical and health programs in the midst of unrelenting fight against COVID-19 also capped his first term as the city’s LCE.
