Dr. Joey Montemayor vs. Rep. Mikey Arroyo (Pampanga's 2nd district)

The Liberal Party (Drilon Wing) has fielded Dr. Joey Montemayor to run against Rep. Mikey Arroyo in Pampanga:

From the PDI news:

Doctor challenges Arroyo son for Pampanga congressional post

'I'm running against a corrupt administration'
By Erwin Oliva, Maila Ager
INQUIRER.net
Last updated 09:07pm (Mla time) 03/30/2007

MANILA, Philippines -- (UPDATE) The Liberal Party wing, led by Senator Franklin Drilon, has fielded a challenger against incumbent Representative Juan Miguel "Mikey" Arroyo, the President’s son, in Pampanga’s second district.

Dr. Joey Montemayor, a cardiologist, confirmed filing his certificate of candidacy Wednesday but without fanfare for fear that his opponents would deploy nuisance candidates, citing the case of opposition senatorial candidate Alan Peter Cayetano.

Montemayor said he took his oath of membership with the LP this week and subsequently got its endorsement. Although INQUIRER.net could not get confirmation from Drilon, former LP president Florencio “Butch” Abad confirmed Montemayor had approached him earlier to express his desire to join the party.

"This is going to be a proxy fight of the Filipino people against the corrupt GMA [Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo] administration," said Montemayor in phone interviews with the INQUIRER.net Friday.

Montemayor, who is working at the St. Luke's Medical Center, stressed that there has been a clamor not only for an "alternative" but a "best choice" for a candidate against the President's son.

Montemayor said he wanted to represent the “general disappointments” of the people of Pampanga towards the son of the President.

“There is a general perception that he [Arroyo] has no opponent. Ever since, they are conditioning the minds of the people that he has no opponent but that’s not true. I am running,” Montemayor said.

“I want to represent the general disappointments of [the] Kapampangan. They don’t like him because he is not even a real Kampampangan. He could not even speak our language,” Montemayor said.

"He [Mikey Arroyo] could not possibly know the general sentiments of his constituents because he rarely goes here," said the 45-year-old
Montemayor, son of a judge that had convicted actor Robin Padilla for illegal possession of firearms.

More from Rina Jimenez David:

THE FIRST of these men is an “interventionist cardiologist” with an active practice in St. Luke’s Hospital and the Philippine Heart Center.

But for Dr. Joey Montemayor, 45, who filed his certificate of candidacy for congressman in the second district of Pampanga, his decision to run is not the result of “a personal battle,” but rather the offshoot of his desire to provide Kapampangans “true representation” in the House, as well as part of the larger battle “against the corrupt Arroyo government.”

Running under the Liberal Party, Montemayor says that compared with Mikey (the failed actor-wannabe son of the President), he is far more qualified to represent the people of Pampanga. “Mikey cannot even speak Kapampangan!” he exclaims in disgust. While the President’s son grew up in Metro Manila and studied in elite schools, Montemayor says he spent his elementary and high school years in his hometown of Sasmuan and in Guagua. And aside from his medical degree, Montemayor says he also studied law at the University of Santo Tomas, and holds an MBA from the University of the Philippines.

“I think I am fully armed with the leadership capabilities and management expertise needed of a congressman,” he says.

In contrast, Montemayor cites Mikey’s lackluster performance in Congress and the scarcity of bills he has filed, much less shepherded through Congress. “He was too busy defending himself and his mother from the jueteng payola accusations to the impeachment.” And only lately have projects “sponsored” by Mikey been seen, “since people had been complaining that he wasn’t even spending his Countryside Development Fund in the district.”

This is not Montemayor’s first foray into politics. In 1998, he ran against action star Lito Lapid for governor of Pampanga, under the People’s Reform Party. Married, with two children, the cardiologist knows he is the decided underdog in this “mano-a-mano” electoral brawl (as of 10 p.m. Thursday, his lawyer says no one else had filed his or her candidacy for the district). But, he declares: “If the people will guard their votes, I’m sure their true sentiments will be revealed and their real preference will emerge.”

Dr. Montemayor's candidacy sounds good to me. The guy's more competent and educated than Mikey. I hope the people of Pampanga will support Doc Montemayor's candidacy.