The political career of Councilor Pee Jay E. Basangan, on his first term in the 8th Sangguniang Panlungsod, took off shortly before the campaign period in the May 2019 elections, when he ran as substitute candidate for his father, the late Councilor Abel Basangan, who died on March 12, 2019.
Armed with the good name of his father, an endearing figure to the masses, Councilor Pee Jay picked up and continued the political battle of the late Ka Abel, invoking his father’s legacy of good governance.
“Iisang prinsipyo ang aking titindigan, iisang layunin ang aking kinamulatan at gagampanan, at iisang dugo ang aking pinanggalingan, at iyon ay nagmula sa aking ama na si Konsehal Abel Basangan (I stand up for one and the same principle, I grew up and embraced my father’s ideals, for our blood is but one),” was his battle cry during the campaign. He placed fourth in councilors’ race, having garnered 93,795 votes.
“May Liwanag ang Buhay (There would be ‘Light in Our Life’),” were the words he had uttered tearfully in his father’s wake, as he promised to serve with honesty, humility, and dedication, and “continue to keep that light shining for his constituents to give them a bright future.”
Councilor Pee Jay, 36, grew up in Barangay Culipat where his father had also served as punong barangay. With his heart and mind nurtured by his father’s examples, he did not have second thoughts in taking on the kind of life and the brand of service and leadership exemplified by Ka Abel.
The youthful legislator is a graduate of B.S. Physical Therapy at the Central Luzon Doctors’ Hospital Educational Institution and worked at the Tarlac Provincial Hospital before he ran for councilor.
He is currently the chairman of two committees, Labor and Employment and Tourism. His legislative priorities dwell on promoting workers’ welfare, and health programs.
He is married to Mary Anne and has one child, Perseus Jacob.