CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – In the second district of Pampanga, the fight for the congressional seat is a virtual battle between Goliath and three Davids.

President Arroyo, a Goliath in the political arena because of her position, is taking on three well-educated yet unknown opponents in her bid for a House seat.

Her opponents are Feliciano L. Serrano, 55, an electrical engineer of Barangay Sepung Bulaon, Porac; Adonis Francis S. Simpao, 41, an architect, of Barangay San Matias in Guagua; and Filipinas Dayrit Cea Sampang, a master's degree holder in business administration and a niece of former Senator Edmundo Cea, of Barangay Sta. Cruz, also of Porac. All are all determined to make history by winning over President Arroyo in the May 10, 2010 elections.

Simpao is expected to put up a good fight being the candidate of the Liberal Party and reelectionist Governor Ed Panlilio, while Serrano and Sampang are expected to be adopted by other parties.

Simpao disclosed that he had no plans to join politics, but the call of fellow Kapampangan for changes prompted him to run. “I am here to accept the challenge to fight against a political leader in country.”

He said he was not afraid to fight a giant politician despite asmall political machinery because of the sentiments of Kapampangans for Mrs. Arroyo to give others a chance to be their leader in the district.

Simpao is the second eldest son of the owner of Simpao Construction, Inc. and an architecture graduate from the Don Honorio Ventura College of Arts and Trade (DHVCAT) in Bacolor, Pampanga in 1994.

Sampang is also a no pushover and should not be discounted by the administration. Her husband, Enerico Sampang, is the brother of the late Pampanga Vice Governor and writer Art Sampang, who is counting on his brother's supporters in her congressional bid.

Sampang said she is running to give the people of the district, composed of the towns of Lubao, Sasmuan, Guagua, Floridablanca, Sta. Rita, and Porac, a good alternative even as she vowed to pursue the late vice governor's vision for the province.

She said she is running with the support of the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino and the Christian and Muslim Democrats.

Leaders of Pampanga, led by the 20 mayors of the province and other provincial officials, vowed to campaign for President Arroyo so that the president could concentrate on her duties and responsibilities as Chief Executive.

Earlier, former President Fidel V. Ramos called on President Arroyo to resign as President following the filing of her candidacy for congresswoman in the second district of Pampanga “to level the playing field” in the election in that district.

Former President Joseph Estrada, who is running for President again, supported Ramos’ call, pointing out that Mrs. Arroyo’s candidacy will demean the position of President of the Philippines.

Ramos and Estrada, however, recognized that there is no legal impediment for President Arroyo to run for public office, except the presidency, in the next elections.

Many bishops led by Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, Pampanga Bishop Aniceto, Bishop Rodolfo Beltran of the Apostolic Vicariate of Bontoc and Bishop Emilio Marquez of the Diocese of Lucena and leaders of the country like Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago ignored the calls of the two former presidents, stressing that Mrs. Arroyo, as a citizen, has every right to run for a public office even as leaders of Pampanga predicted an easy victory for the President in the May 10, 2010 elections.

In filing her certificate of candidacy, the President assured she will remain focused on her job as President and would not campaign at all because Pampanga leaders pledged that they will campaign for her.