THE province of Aurora is also referred to as the “melting pot” of Eastern Luzon owing to of its diverse peoples – Tagalog, Ilocano, Visayan and indigenous tribes -making up its population of 235,750.

Named after the late wife of the Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon, the province has won accolades worthy of its rich, natural resources. For instance, the capital town of Baler has become the “surfing haven” of Eastern Luzon.

The hardy and industrious Aurorenos and their businesses continue to thrive, despite the frequent battering it suffers from perennial typhoons.

Thus, we could not help but wonder why nature is sometimes unforgiving in the case of Aurora, which is often visited by destructive typhoons.

Now, another type of storm is brewing over Aurora, as if the calamitous effects of nature’s wrath are not enough.

This time, the political storm could be a boon or a bane for its residents and their leaders, depending on how they respond to the inevitable situation with local elections looming large in the horizon.

This province is now on the brink of change, with two groups – the Angara group and the Noveras clan on the other, maneuvering for control.

But before we get ahead of the story, a background is in order. In 2007, the Angara-Noveras feud boiled over. The late Senator Edgardo Angara’s nephew Rommel Rico Angara suffered defeat against Gerardo “Jerry” Noveras for the gubernatorial post.

The rivalry did not stop there. In the 2010 elections, the Angaras fielded an ally, Danilo Tolentino, who lost to then incumbent Governor Noveras, negating the influence of a sitting Senator.

With his senatorial term ending, Angara filed for a gubernatorial run in 2013 but backed out at the last minute when surveys showed him tailing the incumbent governor by a mile. Instead, Angara fielded his brother Dr. Arturo J. Angara, to challenge Noveras in the 2013 elections. Once again, Noveras emerged victorious.

Unfortunately, Jerry Novera’s second term as governor was marred by brickbats and nasty criticisms hurled at him.

Noveras ended up getting suspended but he had managed to finish his term in tandem with his son, Christian Noveras as vice-governor.

They beat Ariel S. Bitong, whose wife is a relative of the Angaras.

For his part, Noveras son also was able to rise and shine, giving a drubbing to his rival, Kharen Angara, first cousin of incumbent Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara.

In the 2022 provincial elections, Novera’s son Christian won as governor while his father took office as vice governor.

Even before they could assume their posts, however, they were already beset with various charges, mostly relating to election offenses.

On Sept. 06, 2023, the Comelec en banc disqualified Gerardo Noveras from his post as vice governor.

Word of his disqualification flew thick and fast, to the dismay of his supporters who put the blame on the usual suspects.

Early this year, the court placed the young Noveras under a 90-day preventive suspension effective Feb. 05,2024, over an election case where his father and two provincial employees were implicated.

An Angara ally, Reynante Tolentino took over as acting governor and he was the first to break the news of the impending dismissal order against Noveras.

The Noveras-Angara saga became more intriguing since it was widely believed that Senator Sonny Angara would soon be joining the fray to vie for governor of Aurora, according to the grapevine.

The young Angara could also opt for a House seat and allow his proxies to carry on the fight for governorship.

To the Angaras and their supporters, the Noveras’ reign must end, by any means. And “dismissal” could be the solution to Angara’s long festering headache. Not if the hardy and wise Aurorenos get in the way.