This was the statement made by former Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) Assistant Secretary Rene Maglanque during a press conference arranged by the Society of Pampanga Columnists (SPC), headed by veteran journalists Bong Lacson and Ed Aguilar, at Bale Kapampangan yesterday.

Maglanque, an engineer and realty contractor by profession, said he accepted his defeat in 2007 because the Arroyo administration supported the candidacy of 4th District Congresswoman Anna York Bondoc.

Maglanque, a son of a poor carpenter from Candaba, said he believes he would win this time under the banner of the Liberal Party, where he was sworn in as member last October 28.

He claimed that the district is continuously being neglected, considering that several national and farm-to-market roads were not given full attention.
He alleged that there have been a number of road construction projects, but most of which, he claimed, are defective and substandard.

Maglanque said if given the chance in 2010, he would prioritize the provision of health care benefits particularly to the indigents through the improvement of district hospitals.

He said he plans to put up a state-of-the-art district hospital at the center of the district, in Apalit or in San Simon.
“Ang nababalitaan ko lang pong pagbabago sa San Luis District Hospital ay ang kulay nito. Dati po ay puti pero ngayon ay pink pero hindi po nagkaroon ng mga expansion building para mag-accommodate ng mga dumaraming pasyente at may kakulangan pa po sa mga gamit,” he said.

In an interview with a close aide of Rep. Bondoc, he said Maglanque should properly look into the improvement of the district hospitals and answer for himself his own question.

“Kung sa labas ng hospital kitang-kita na ang improvement sa loob pa kaya?” Bondoc’s close aide said.
Resettlement
Asked about the continuous erosion of the embankment of the Pampanga River that swept away several villages along the riverbank, Maglanque said the long term solution for the particular problem is the permanent relocation of the villagers to a safer place.

“Iyong ginagawang remedyo sa mga riverbank tulad ng revetments ay gatasan lamang ng mga pulitiko at opisyal ng gobyerno dahil ang totoo talagang mahina na ang mga dike sa gilid ng Pampanga River,” he said.
Maglanque said he would run again to give the people in 4th district a serious fight and give the municipalities a chance for total development. (Joel P. Mapiles)