INCUMBENT San Juan mayor Francis Zamora doesn’t see anything wrong with having four basketball players in his slate, saying their discipline and training can be an advantage as public servants.
Netizens were quick to notice two-time PBA MVP James Yap, former Purefoods guard Paul Artadi, Zamora's former La Salle teammate Don Allado, and Ervic Vijandre when Zamora and his party mates filed their certificate of candidacies on Tuesday.
Yap, who is running for a council seat in the first district of San Juan, is the lone active player among the four. Artadi, a former Yap teammate at Purefoods and the University of the East, is an incumbent councilor in the city.
Allado played 15 seasons in the PBA and is now an assistant coach of the Adamson Falcons in the UAAP while Vijandre is an actor who also played in the MPBL.
Zamora, who played for La Salle in the UAAP during the 1990s, several years before he was elected as mayor of San Juan, said the most important thing is a public servant's desire to serve the people and not their sports career.
“Wala po akong nakikitang masama sa basketball player,” said Zamora in an interview with news reporters on Tuesday. “Ako po ay naging basketball player din. Para sa akin, hindi importante kung basketball player o hindi. Ang importante, may kakayanan at puso para maglingkod sa ating mamamayan.”
The youthful city exec said his background and training as a basketball player has served him in good stead in fulfilling his duties as mayor.
“Ako po bilang basketball player, malaking bagay po ang aking natutunan sa disiplina sa katawan, sa pag-iisip, at ito po ay mga bagay na nadadala ko bilang mayor. Tiwala ako na ang ating mga kandidato, mga basketball player ay may dalang disiplina, pagmamahal, at marami po silang puwedeng itulong sa atin,” said Zamora.
Zamora added that Yap, Artadi, Allado, and Vijandre can also bring fresh ideas to the city.
“Ang maganda ho rito ‘yung youthfulness, ‘yung energy ng mga mas batang kandidato. Katulad ko, hindi ako takot sumabak sa araw-araw na trabaho.
"Bagama’t may COVID-19 ay patuloy tayo na naglilingkod at nagtatrabaho. Hindi po tayo takot sa COVID ngunit maingat po tayo. ‘Yun ang advantage ng mas batang candidates,” said Zamora.
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