By BLESS MALLARI
PStar Correspondent, Western Pangasinan

ALAMINOS CITY – The political campaign is heating up between Mayor Hernani Braganza here and his challenger Councilor Cesar Manzano. The two have accused each other of lying on issues.

Braganza charged Manzano of spreading outright lies late last week over an alleged P300 million bank loan the city supposedly received for the construction of a usiness center.

The loan proceeds, according to Manzano in his campaign sorties around the city, is now being used by the mayor for his administration ticket’s campaign expenses.

Braganza admitted in a news report published in a local weekly (not the Pangasinan Star) that on September 16, 2005, Manzano authored a resolution, numbered 2005-103 giving the mayor authority to enter into a loan agreement worth P300 million with any bank but that this has not yet been effected or finalized and therefore there is no loan to speak of.

The mayor added that entering into loans or obtaining loans during the election period is even prohibited by law.

He challenged the councilor who is a retired colonel to prove his allegations, and if he is able to, he said he will immediately resign and withdraw his candidacy.

Manzano however remained firm in his accusations and has produced flyers asserting his previous claims against the mayor. .