STARTING with former police superintendent and congressman Amado Tutaan Espino more popularly known by his monicker, “Spines,” who defeated Dr. Jamie Eloise Agbayani for Pangasinan”s gubernatorial post in the May 14 elections, five former police officers successfully won their bids for elective posts in Pangasinan in the May 14 polls.

After Espino’s spectacular win over the long-reigning Agbayani clan, the more sensational win by an ex policeman in the province was notched by retired Gen. Reynaldo Velasco in Sta Barbara who won the mayorship, roundly defeating the long-ruling Zaplan family in the town on his first try at politics.

Velasco is a member of PMA Class of 1971, among whose popular graduates include Senator Panfilo Lacson and former senator Gringo Honasan.

In western Pangasinan, retired police one-star general, Marcelo Navarro, won the mayoralty race in Bani town. He will be replacing his elder brother, incumbent Mayor Gabriel Navarro. The new mayor-elect left the PNP service only last year after serving as chief of the PNP Special Action Force (SAF). He also once headed Police Regional Offices in regions V and VI

Two other retired police officers are Domingo Doctor of Burgos town, also in western Pangasinan who won re-election and Ricardo Revita of Rosales in eastern Pangasinan

Revita first won the mayoral post in Rosales in the 2004 elections when he ran against the incumbent Mayor Julieta Yu, wife of the long-serving Remigio P. Yu whose family ran the municipality for close to 30 years. (BFH)