By DANNY O. SAGUN
PIA Dagupan Infocenter

FORMER Dagupan City Mayor Alipio Fernandez, Jr. is fit and strong to wage full-scale election campaign contrary to persistent rumors that he is ailing, his son Vice-Mayor Alvin Fernandez assured Thursday.

The young Fernandez, who in time is widely rumored set to substitute for his father, said that his father has been doing his campaign just like in the past elections – waking up early and staying late at night.

The resigned immigration commissioner, according to persistent reports, was not fit to withstand the rigors of campaign and was due for substitution by the incumbent vice-mayor, who surprisingly is a non-candidate now although he is eligible to run for re-election or seek the mayorship.

The rule on substitution states that the political party concerned will name the substitute, who is not running for any position, for a candidate who has withdrawn from the race.

Provincial election supervisor Reddy Balarbar said that substitutions are allowed until May 7. In case of physical disability or death of a candidate however, substitution is allowed up to the noon of election day on May 14.

Interestingly, Alvin is not running for any position bolstering suspicions he is just staying at the sidelines and ready for nomination just in case his father eventually withdraws from the race.

Fernandez has teamed up with former Councilor Belen Fernandez, a non-relative. They are running as official administration candidates.

The tandem is facing the team of Brian Lim, son of incumbent Mayor Benjamin Lim, who is running for congressman in the fourth district, and Councilor Vladimir Mata of the New-Po (New Politics) group.

Highlighting fitness, the Lim group staged last Thursday a “Fit to Run” sort of marathon from traffic post #1 to the Magic Café on Guilig St, apparently a sly allusion to the health condition of the former mayor. (DOS)