By BEHN FER. HORTALEZA, JR

SO what’s cooking now in the exciting four-cornered congressional race in the Third District of Pangasinan?

Latest scuttlebutt is President Arroyo had this visitor with whom she had a three-hour lunch on Good Friday during the Holy week vacation of the First Family and her Cabinet in Baguio City.

Not that it should surprise you immensely but my Palace source revealed that GMA was all smiles and full of mirth during her tete-a-tete with, well, whadyaknow, former Customs deputy commissioner Gallant D. Soriano, who’s running for congressman of the Third District!

Gallant brought along with him his kuya , former San Carlos City mayor Douglas Soriano and another brother, Human Rights Commissioner Wilhelm “Bibong” Soriano and three other candidates for mayor in three towns in the third district.

Paint whatever scenario you like of this but it does look every inch to me like GMA and even Speaker JDV are a bit too cozy with candidates opposed to candidates being supported by former President Fidel Valdez Ramos, starting with the gubernatorial race where both are helping the candidacy of Dr. Jamie Eloise Agbayani, wife of incumbent Gov. Victor Agbayani, in not-too-secret ways.

How else would you view Mrs. Agbayani being adopted by the Biskeg na Pangasinan of Undersecretary Antonio “Bebot” Villar, Jr., a staunch supporter of GMA whose own cousin, Board Member Dionisio “Saffe” Villar is also Agbayani’s running-mate as vice governor, when it became clear FVR would have his way anointing Oscar Lambino as Lakas bet for governor here?

Coincidence? Get off your rocker, puhlizz!

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We don’t know if the Great Tabako ever entertained the thought or had an inkling his rabid support too for Third District candidate for congresswoman, Rachel Arenas, in the latter’s bagging the Lakas nomination for the district would only go to naught when the campaign got to the homestretch. He got his way in the arbitration committee selection but life on the real political campaign trail will have GMA and JDV finally having their way.
An astute politician, FVR must have expected something like that but, of course, still like the politician, he can always go into a state of denial and laugh it all off as a joke – till it hurts.

Insofar as the Third District race is concerned, let’s face it: Without Gallant Soriano running, Rachel Arenas’ candidacy would have been smooth sailing — even with the two other rivals competing with her. And FVR wouldn’t be losing any more of his sparse hair, much less, precious sleep over anything at all in the third district.

This may be no way to treat an elder statesman but well, that’s politics. It’s meant only for those with cast-iron stomachs.
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Among the many vociferous party-list groups that have come alive of late, it seems BANAT (Barangay Association for National Advancement and Transparency) is among the few that is not identity-shy when it comes to naming its so-called “nominees,” In fact, the group is boldly, if properly, advertising its stalwarts, complete with pictures, as the men (what, Atty. Raul, no women?) behind the reform-minded movement. No phantoms there.

With colorful lawyer Raul Lambino (remember Sigaw ng Bayan?) and former education leader and solon Salvador Brittanico among its leaders, no wonder the group, if it gets the required number of votes and makes it to Congress, would have the whole slew of government social programs (health, education, housing and environmental care) among its top advocacies. Who else would know the common people’s wounds and ailment but those who have seen countryside sufferings in the raw and feel very strongly about doing something to cure these?

Lambino is not giving up on his baby, the changing of the old structures of governance, and given this chance, he would surely turn the halls of Congress upside down with his unique argumentation style and yes, that familiar brand of oratory that only the Man from Pozorrubio can muster with such flair.