By DANNY O. SAGUN

CAN”T the present provincial administration move on without constantly bringing up the alleged “sins” of its predecessor in its public pronouncements?

We are not alone in this observation.

It appears that Gov. Amado Espino cannot help but take a snipe at former Governor, now Congressman, Victor Agbayani every time he opens his mouth to talk on provincial government projects. He issued a mouthful in his first two weeks in office while taking notes from department heads in those nerve-wracking briefings. Irregular shady transactions were discovered, he growled in his first report to the public made in a sangguniang panlalawigan session.

We don’t know what he did after that to right the alleged wrongs. What we only heard was the people perceived to be Agbayani loyalists - department heads or the assistants - were grounded. Purportedly, they were made to form a study group for the needed restructuring of the provincial government.

Reportedly, they were given three months to come up with their recommendations. They are now on their fourth month and there is no sign they will ever go back to their positions which are now occupied by OICs.

If that is not vindictiveness or politically motivated, we don’t know what is. If indeed there are anomalies, shouldn’t the governor properly file charges against his predecessor and/or the alleged perpetrators before appropriate bodies for the latter to defend themselves.

We think the good governor will just have to work and work without bothering himself so much with the mistakes or lapses of his predecessor if he wants to succeed. He must show to the public that he is really different. He dreams of himself becoming the best governor this province will ever have. In that case he does not need to compare himself with anybody much less Victor since he is on top of them all. Incomparable, that is.

He cannot gain the sympathy of his constituents by taking potshots at his enemies or their followers. He will only alienate himself from those people and their sympathizers. He needs friends not enemies to help him make this province truly great as he dreams of..
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Former President FVR must have felt like he was still the sitting president when he spoke last Monday after Gov. Espines delivered his First 100 Days Report at the Narciso Ramos gym.

In fact, he spoke much longer than the governor did.

Surprisingly too, he took the podium after Espines delivered his speech. We don’t know if protocol was somehow breached.

Ideally, the speech of the principal character who was Espines, being the father of the province, was the highlight of that affair. That show actually belonged to him. He or his speech is not supposed to be outshone by anybody or anything.

Of course, the cigar-chomping FVR, being an ex-president, deserves honor and respect. But then he was there as a guest. If ever he is allowed to speak he will do so before the lead actor – the governor – delivers his. And that speech must not be as comprehensive as that of the lead personality.

From what we gathered and monitored over radio, he appeared as if he were making a presidential visit to this great province (he had many we could not count with our fingers during those times from 1992 -98) and that Espines were just there as a mere police provincial director.

The Asingan pride so relished his chance at the centerstage he kept on repeating his signature “Kaya Natin To” punchline and flashing that thumbs-up sign as he tried to drum up people’s support for his call for unity among Pangasinan leaders and the support for Espines’ programs of government. He was so carried away he could not just end his speech.

Well, it happened. FVR had a point anyway. Pangasinan leaders now appear to be at loggerheads and the people here are at a loss what would happen next.