By BEHN FER. HORTALEZA, JR.

EASILY the most interesting congressional district political fight, and you can ask any hard-nosed media practitioners about this, is the third district derby amongst the heir-hopefuls of “graduating” Rep. Gener Tulagan.

Already, guts-and-glitter personalities like Rachel Arenas, daughter of ultra-popular socialite Rosemarie ‘Baby” Arenas; top Customs official and scion of a great political clan in San Carlos, Gallant D. Soriano; veteran local government executive Leo “Boy’de Vera; Gener’s own son, Jun Tulagan and retired police general Rey Velasco are kicking up their own political dust with each day that passes.

With the protagonists all known allies, friends or supporters of Undersecretary Antonio “Bebot” Villar, Jr., founder (chairman-emeritus?) of the newest local political party, Biskeg-Pangasinan, it’s anybody guess whose coin the Sto. Tomas fountain will eventually bless.

For now, from accounts by some reporters, Bebot is playing it cool, happy to just have the rivals feeling each other out. (In the latest incident, the bemoustached “kingmaker” had the sweet Rachel deliberately seated with rugged hizzoner Leo Boy at the recent birthday celebration of Mayor Vivien O. Villar in Sto. Tomas, the better, we guess, for both to know each other.)

Earlier, at Gallant’s own birthday bash in San Carlos City, we hear, Bebot had a pretty close quartering with the youngest son of the late Congressman Jack and both men had a pretty good time together. We don’t know if he had already checked out Jun Tulagan or the general — probably, yes.

They say charm, wit (intelligence?) and money wins elections, absent one the road to victory won’t be a smooth-sailing course. The problem in the third district race, many analysts say (and which makes the fight all the more interesting to watch out for) is that all those guys and gal about to throw their hat into the ring have all the three factors in them. And a-bountiful too.

But if Bebot comes true-to-form, and considering his legendary back-channeling skills, we wager there’d be just two left to slug it out in the arena, come the 2007 elections. Of course, the outgoing incumbent, Gener Tulagan, will be one hard cookie to convince to have his son back out, if ever.

But then, stranger things have happened in the district in the past. And last-minute miracles are always worked out thru a hundred and one (101) ways.

* * *

We received this shocking news at presstime.

The message, from Baguio City, we presume, told of the death of a young friend, Allan Fernando Maligpas, who for some years in the past, was active in the local press (Weekly Guardian) until he decided to return to his native haunts in the city of Pines, there to publish the Northern Gazette, renamed Philippine Gazette and finally rechristened, The Gazette, while still keeping in touch with some Pangasinan media colleagues.

Part of our newsman’s instincts says it can’t be true; but the other part cries out it’s probably true. We texted back the “Anabelle” who sent the message for more details but we haven’t received a reply till now as we put the paper to bed.

Anyway, Allan’s “remains,” so we were told, will be at the St. Resurrection Church in Baguio City by October 11 (this Wednesday).