Retirement is clearly far from his mind set when he decided to throw his hat in Candijay’s political arena. He did win the tightly-fought race for vice mayor and retired international mariner Jesse Sales is basking in the glory of being the number two elective official of the town. With politics now his cup of tea, he is discharging the function of vice mayor with aplomb. In fact, last time he was heard, the new vice mayor was in his element serving his constituents like conducting barangay visitations to find out if basic services were accorded the people. Like any public servant, Sales has internalized public service as if it is second nature. No wonder, no time in his budding political career that he suffered any defeat. The first time he was bitten by the political bug, he run for councilor (in 2007) and clinched the number one spot. He ran for reelection as an independent and still romped away with the fourth spot in the field of eight. It may be unknown to the people of Candijay that the Sales they know is a born politician. Son of a father who was a prominent fixture during the time of former Philippine President Carlos P. Garcia, the late Isabelo Sales, Sr. was the former mayor of Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija. During CPG’s time, his father was a member of the Garcia Cabinet after he was named general manager of National Development Corp.

What’s ahead of Sales as a politician is anybody’s guess. But one thing sure. As an international mariner, he definitely earned his pile after exploring the international seas as a master mariner for 15 years. His stint as a seafarer at a top of his class did not end there. After he hanged up his gloves as a seaman, he was named as head of the harbor pilotage services of Surigao City. He was chief harbor pilot of Surigao for 16 years. When crunch time came to call it quits, he retired last June 30, after presumably earning a fortune. His retirement in public service (the harbor pilot job was offered by the Philippine Ports Authority) made him to rethink his priorities. The option is to retire for good or seek public service via politics. He chose the later while pondering at the same time if retirement is the way to go if only to enjoy his retirement money to the fullest extent of the equation. Whether Sales is in quandary as he weighs his options, the way it looks is that he’d rather prefer to be in a semi-retirement mode. Thus, started another chapter of his journey to life as he built a multi-million mansion in barangay San Isidro district this city.

Designed as a resort and playground, Sales and wife Esmer, are building the stately mansion as a culmination of their happy marriage which is blessed with children, all boys. For now, not only is the couple contemplating that the house is their retirement home, they are also exploring the possibility that its swimming pool is open for commercial use especially to children. Located in a one hectare property, the structure is palatial by any stretch of the imagination. For the Sales couple, once retirement finally sets in because the sunset years become inevitable, they can choose from two more houses all considered palatial by any means. Sales, while riding the high seas as marine captain, he built his first house in Cavite where incidentally all of his three sons have their own houses in the compound. When the patriarch chose to be tied up in the place of his wife in Candijay, he too built his own stately house in Candijay located along the town’s highway. Retirement? Tell it to V-Mayor Jesse Sales because he has three retirement homes to choose from.