Statement of former Mayor Douglas Soriano
San Carlos City, Pangasinan30 April 2007

MY family and I are deeply saddened by the death of Mayor Julian Resuello. We are shocked that violence such as this could still happen in our midst despite everybody’s effort to maintain peace and order in our city amidst our preparations for the coming elections.
I wish to express our deepest sympathy with the family of Mayor Resuello and the other victims. I call on everyone, especially our supporters, to join me and my family in praying for the speedy resolution of this case.
I consider this incident an assault on our democratic system. Violence has no place in a civilized society, much less during an electoral campaign and when the victims include an official of our city government. I hope that the authorities will move quickly to ensure the safety of everyone, especially the ordinary citizens. Read more

SAN CARLOS CITY — Elections Commissioner Romeo Brawner, here today,Monday, for a personal assessment of the situation following the murder of Mayor Julian Resuello by two assassins last Saturday has approved the recommendation of the provincial elections supervisor to put San Carlos City under the control of the Commission on Elections

Brawner, in charge of Region 1 or the Ilocos for this election, appealed to all candidates to remain calm and not let passion or anger rule over their decisions. At the same time, he directed the Philippine National Police under Regional Police Director Leopoldo Bataoil to further augment its presence and state of alertness to prevent any further escalation of the tense situation. Read more

By BEHN FER. HORTALEZA, JR

SAN CARLOS CITY — Long wails of anguish and shouts of anger among relatives and supporters of Mayor Julian V. Resuello rent the air here after news of the mayor’s death at St. Luke’s Hospital in Manila reached them.

Just minutes after the mayor breathed his last at the recovery room of the St. Luke’s Medical Center, around 7: 15 a.m. today, Monday, following an emergency operation on him, the news spread here quickly that he was not coming home alive.

Resuello’s body was due home here tomorrow morning after some final arrangements are made at the hospital and at a funeral parlor where he was to spend one night before the final trip to this city. Read more

By BEHN FER. HORTALEZA, JR. & LIWAY M. YPARRAGUIRRE

SAN CARLOS CITY –Two unidentified gunmen pumped several bullets into Mayor Julian Resuello here yesterday evening as he was shaking hands with the audience at the city plaza during the coronation night for the city fiesta queen.

The mayor was airlifted to the St. Luke’s Medical Center at 9:30 a.m today after an emergency operation was conducted on him to save some internal organs at the Blessed Family Doctors Hospital in the city.

Accompanying the seriously wounded city executive was his son, Vice Mayor Julier “Ayoy” Resuello, PNP Regional Director Leopoldo Bataoil who rushed to the city hours after the shooting ; and congressional candidate Rachel Arenas who was with the mayor greeting the crowd when the shooting incident happened at about 10:15 p.m. inside the city auditorium. Read more

By DANNY O. SAGUNPIA Dagupan Infocenter

BARANGAY officials can openly support their candidates in the regular elections without violating any rules, an election official clarified Tuesday

Provincial election supervisor Reddy Balarbar said that it is only during the barangay election that the non-partisan concept applies. In such election, political parties are not involved

Balarbar issued the clarification in the wake of complaints that barangay captains have been openly supporting and campaigning for certain candidates in this mid-term election. Read more

LOOKS like things are really looking up for the Social Security System now. And a 10% increase in retirement benefits of its members ordered by President Arroyo on the strength of its remarkable performance – less than a year after they received a similar increase last September – should erase any doubt about its financial stability.

From its once precarious position, tottering to a bankruptcy of sort some years back, it has recovered much lost ground, that is, based on the report of SSS president Corazon dela Paz and echoed by no less than President Arroyo during the System’s recent 50th anniversary celebration. Read more

Nen MARIO F. KARATEKA

AGAYMETLAYAY kapara tayon Asyano a si Cho Seung-Hui, ginawa toran singa manok ya pantargit-praktisan so kaeskuela tod Birdyinya Tek Yunibersiti dimad Estados Unidos. Natan,natural singa paseseg-segangen tan suspetsado laingen iray taga-Asya ya manaayam ed saman a nasyon nen Bush.

Koreano si Cho. Balet dakel ya totoo ed Amerika, agda amtan ibiig itay Pilipino ed Koreano, o Intsik ed Koreano, o Indon ed Malaysiano, o Koreano ed Hapon.

Basta singkit o de color ka, Asyano ka. Read more

By BEHN FER. HORTALEZA, JR.

THERE was this wag of an announcer who blared one early morning last week while I was still rubbing the sleep off my eyes that the Agbayanis – Jamie for governor and Victor for congressman of the second district – are fast losing support now that the Spines (Rep. Amado Tutaan Espino) has stepped up his campaign and, according to him, gaining much ground.

I do not know about that.

I do know that the last time I heard a similar refrain (well, well, and from the same announcer too, I believe) about Victor supposedly getting jittery because his then opponent, former Ambassador and Senator Leticia R. Shahani was way up in the surveys, the Agbayani certified seed clobbered the opponent by Read more

By YOLLY Z. SOTELO

IT’S still a male-dominated world of politics in Pangasinan, where just about 15 percent of the total number of candidates from governor to councilors are contesting the political seats.

Records of the Commission on Elections showed that there are about 1,254 candidates for the different local positions, with 1,063 comprising the males and only 191 comprising the females.

At least 107 candidates are vying for the 44 town and four city mayor seats in the province. But of the total, only eight are females, with two of them running unopposed — Kimi Cojuangco for Sison and Mayor Vivien Villar for Sto. Tomas. Read more

By DANNY O. SAGUN

NEW-PO vice-mayoralty bet Vlad Mata last Wednesday hurled a challenge to the Fernandez camp – face him in a debate at the public plaza perhaps under the aegis of the media.

He hurled the challenge during a press conference with opposition senatorial bet Sonia Roco, widow of the late Senator and education Secretary Raul Roco at the Magic Cafe.

Mata said he and mayoral candidate Brian Lim are ready to discuss any issue affecting the city – finances, prosecution of programs and projects, etc. We do not know if the former mayor’s group is willing to face the so-called New Politics camp. Read more