A total of 65 aspirants yesterday trooped to the provincial election office here to file their respective certificates of candidacy for local positions, from governor down to provincial board member.

Incumbent Gov.Amado T. Espino, Jr. will seek re-election under the administration Lakas-Kampi party against second district Congressman Victor E. Agbayani, whose wife, Jamie, lost to Espino in the last elections.  Jamie is seeking to succeed her husband as representative.

Espino’s running-mate is Mapandan town Mayor Ferdinand Calimlim, while Agbayani, who is running under the Liberal party, is in tandem with former Vice-Gov. Oscar B. Lambino. Also running as vice-governor is lawyer Julius Magno of the Puersa ng Masang Pilipino.

Nine women are seeking congressional seats: former television journalist Ma. Judea “Maki” Pulido and Christine Jimemez in the first district; Agbayani and Kim Lokin in the second district; re-electionist Rachel Arenas, third district; Georgina de Venecia and Celia Lim, fourth district; Carmen Cojuangco, fifth district; and Marlyn Primicias-Agabas, sixth district.

Arenas, running under Lakas-Kampi, is pitted against a former rival, lawyer Gallant Soriano of the Liberal party. Cojuangco, of the Nationalist People’s Coalition and incumbent mayor of Sison town, faces former Assemblyman and OIC-Gov. Demetrio Demetria, and independent Martin Fao-Ilan. Agabas, also of NPC, is ranged against retired Armed Forces chief Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. of Lakas-Kampi,and Eduardo Libatique of the Puersa ng Masang Pilipino.

Joining the congressional fight in the first district are incumbent Board Member Danilo Dizon of LP,  Burgos town Mayor Domingo Doctor of the Nacionalista Party, independent Vladimir Mabalot, and Jesus Celeste of Lakas. Retired police Director Leopoldo Bataoil of Lakas, Independent Ron Vergara, incumbent Board Member Nestor Reyes of NP, and Franco de Guzman of KBL are the other contenders in the second district.

Lawyer Alejandro Decano, a perennial candidate for congressman, also filed his COC for the fourth district.

Meanwhile, former Dagupan City Mayor Benjamin S. Lim beat the deadline midnight last Tuesday to file his COC and challenge incumbent Mayor Alipio F. Fernandez, Jr. His wife Celia and son Brian earlier that evening also filed their COC for congressman and councilor, respectively.

The Lims said they wanted the electorate from this city as well as in the fourth district to have a choice. Up until they filed their COCs a few minutes before the 12 midnight deadline, Fernandez and De Venecia, wife of fourth district Congressman Jose de Venecia, Jr., were virtually assured of their positions.

Land Transportation Office chief Arturo Lomibao, who had earlier indicated his desire to run for congressman in the fourth district, decided not to seek any elective position.

Former Vice-Gov. and sixth district Rep. Ranjit R. Shahani opted to run for board member in that district after failing to secure nomination as candidate for vice-governor.

Incumbent Board Member Alfonso Bince, Jr. of the sixth district also decided to seek re-election after failing to secure nomination as vice-governor under Lakas. (PIA Pangasinan)

Lakas-Kampi-CMD headed by reelectionist Governor Amado Espino Jr. and his runningmate Mapandan Mayor Jose Ferdinand Calimlim has congressional candidates in all districts except in the fifth district.

The congressional candidates of Lakas-Kampi-CMD are former Bolinao Mayor Jesus Celeste in the first district, Board Member Nestor Reyes in the second district, Rep. Rachel Arenas in the third district; Environment and Natural Resources Undersecretary Eleazar Quinto in the fourth district; and Presidential Management Staff Secretary Hermogenes Esperon in the sixth district.

Lakas-Kampi-CMD has no candidate in the fifth district where Sison Mayor Carmen Cojuangco, wife of Rep. Mark Cojuangco, the son of NPC founder, businessman Eduardo Cojuangco, is running for congresswoman.

Rep. Cojuangco said NPC is backing the reelection bid of Governor Espino while it is non-committal on who the presidential candidate it will support in the national election. However, the party has thrown its all-out support on its own partymate Senator Loren Legarda, who is running for vice president.

The other NPC congressional candidates, but who are however, opposed by Lakas-Kampi-CMD bets are Georgina de Venecia in the fourth district, Kim Lokin of the second district and Vice Governor Marlyn Primicias-Agabas of the sixth district.

The LP congressional candidates are Board Member Danilo Dizon in the first district; Dr. Jamie Eloise Agbayani in the second district; and Galant Soriano in the third district.

The LP in Pangasinan, headed by second district Rep. Victor Agbayani and his runningmate former Vice Governor Oscar Lambino, did not field congressional candidates in the fourth, fifth and sixth district.

Among the two LP candidates for board member in the sixth district of Pangasinan is former Vice Governor and former sixth district Rep. Ranjit Ramos Shahani. The other is Karlos Zaragoza of Tayug.

Retired Police Director Leopoldo Bataoil has filed his certificate of candidacy in the second district of Pangasinan but he did not indicate his party affiliation in his COC. (PNA)

This was according to the nation’s economic managers who met members of the local business community at Lenox Hotel in Dagupan City on Thursday, their first stop in  a nationwide roadshow.

Finance Secretary Gary B. Teves, chairman of the Special National Public Reconstruction Commission, said they are focusing on the rebuilding of physical infrastructure, enhancing access to social services, such as medical care and education, and helping SMEs (small medium enterprises), the backbone of local economies, get back on their feet.

“We are also taking longer-term measures to enhance the region’s flood prevention mechanisms and resilience to climate-related challenges. It is a priority of the government to bring normalcy back to the lives of the people of this region and ensure their economies recover as quickly as possible”, he said.

Outlining measures in the government’s restoration plan for Region 1, NEDA Regional Director Leonardo Quitos Jr. said that a total of P3.23 billion is being injected into Ilocos Norte, llocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan for the repair of damaged infrastructure and to rehabilitate the agriculture and fisheries sectors.

Director Quitos said that the full-year economic outlook for the region remains positive but that rehabilitation must be implemented quickly if growth is to be sustained.

“Infrastructure and agriculture are the sectors most affected by the typhoons and they must be rehabilitated as quickly as possible if we are to ensure that economic growth remains on track,” he added.

Losses in these two sectors may affect GDP (Gross Domestic Product) for the region slightly, but reconstruction, stronger remittances by the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and election and holiday spending will likely offset some of those losses.

For this reason, he said, they are still forecasting a healthy level of 2.3-3.3 percent GDP growth for the region this year.

SAN CARLOS CITY –A formidable alliance has been formed between the Soriano and Tulagan camps here to capture the third district congressional seat now occupied by Rep. Rachel Arenas, daughter of socialite Rosemarie ‘Baby’ Arenas, and City hall from the rulling Resuellos.

This was seen with the filing last Saturday of certificates of candidacy (COCs) for congressman by lawyer Gallant Soriano of the prominent Soriano clan and Generoso ‘Gener” Tulagan, Sr , patriarch of the Tulagan family. for city mayor of San Carlos.

The alliance is said to consolidate the voting muscle of the city for a native son and not divide it as what happened in the 2007 congressional race when both Gallant and Tulagan’s son ran for congressman.

The young Soriano who was a ranking official of the Bureau of Customs in 2007 during his first try for a Congress seat against three other rivals, Arenas, Generoso ‘Jun’ Tulagan Jr and Leocadio de Vera, will do battle with Arenas in what political observers said was his quest for a vindication of his “actual win” in 2007 that was supposedly taken away from him by the Arenas political forces. The younger Tulagan will try his luck instead this time in the provincial board member race for third district.

Soriano, shortly after filing his COC at the provincial elections office in Dagupan, said he wants to give his fellow third district residents the long-neglected health and education services they deserve.

In a pointed aside to the incumbent reign of Arenas, he said progress and development should not be concentrated on or equated with infrastructure, which, though important, .cannot be substituted for the general health and intelligence of people especially in the rural areas.

Arenas had been largely anchoring her development projects on building various bridges and roads capitalizing on her well-known closeness to Peisdent Arroyo to secure multi-million allocations for these. Soriano and Tulagan, Jr., it will be recalled, had both filed an electoral complaint for fraudulent returns in the 2007 elections that, they claimed, enabled Arenas to claim victory. Their complaint, it has been widely reported, had been heard by the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) the past two years and already resolved with Soriano emerging as garnering more votes than Arenas. Some weeks back, a columnist Belinda-Olivares-Cunanan of the Philippine Daily Inquirer wrote about the supposed HRET results favoring Soriano. The Arenas camp quickly dismissed the column item as untrue saying it is only the HRET that can officially issue any such announcement.

BY the time this piece comes out, all speculations  about who’s running and who’s not in the Pangasinan local elections will have ended. So far, as this is being written, the challenger  to incumbent Governor Amado T. espino, none other than Rep. and former governor   Victor E. Abyanai, has yet to be seen by the usual throngs of mediamen who have practcially camped out at the provincial elections office in the3 Astrodome compound.

Agbayani’s running-mate, however has alrfeady filed his candidacy, giving the unmistakable hint Victor will be appearing at Comelec supeervisor Reddy Balarbar’s office in a matter of hours.

This is the moment long awaited by the people — for the two gladiators to formalize their readiness and resolve to enter the arena , brandishing their own weapons to woo Pangasinenses and have them decide who of them best represents the heart and soul of Pangasinanlandia.

You and I  have both  out favorite but just as the two political protagonists are  eager to prove who’s who between them, we, the voters, would also like to validate whether provincial governance rests in, and is evaluated, in the heart or in the eyes.

Figure that one out and apply the two body parts to eitheer  gubernatorial aspirant.

* * * *

Those who were hoping that her very low approval ratings among the Filipinos will finally make her realize the folly of aspiring for another office, this time much lower than what she has occupied all these year, could not believe she is not giving up  and bowing out gracefully but instead is seeking yet another seat in Congress.

Sure, that move may not be disallowed legally and constitutionally as her battery of legal defenders have been hoarsely insisting – but it reduces all ber previous statesmanship lines to empty shibboleths .In fact, Gloria M. Arroyo’s running for congresswoman in the second district of Pampanga, her homeprovince, fully reinforces the opposition and her critics’ claims that she’s out to protect herb hide at all costs from many legal suits after she steps down from the presidency – by becoming a congressman, later assuming as Speaker and quite possibly, Prime Minister in a charter change scenario.

Imagination running wild? Impossible, you say?

Don’t dismiss it just like that. The woman is power-driven and accumulating more of it is never beyond her—and her legions of lapdogs who have inserted their own fat asses into the other opposition parties, preparing for the time when the usual play in numbers at the House and senate (which they hope to fill) comes around to give their beloved Queen – now one among them in the chamber – the tiara of all tiaras in a parliamentary system.

Don’t blink or you’d just miss the unfolding of the magic.

* * * *

 The young lawyer of the Soriano clan of san Carlos City – Gallant – has not given up on his dream to follow in his father, the late Laureano ‘Jack’ Soriano’s footsteps as a national legislator.

Gallant surprised not a few political dopesters  last Saturday when he appeared at the provincial Comelec office to formalize his decision to contest Rachel Arenas’ Congress seat. The lawyer claims to this day that he was robbed of real victory by the Arenas camp in  2007.

You cannot blame the guy if he took this course. Frustrated both in the final Comelec results of that election for third district  congressman (despite all figures collated by his camp showing he was ahead) and in the dragging of  feet by the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) in releasing the results of the recount that showed the real score, Gallant needs to vindicate to himself and to his supporters that they were the real winners and nobody else.

The Sorianos joining forces with the Tulagans, another power bloc in San Carlos City in the coming elections should give the incumbent young lady, Arenas, some real sleepless nights – along with her fawning media cubs –preventing her some from doing her usual frequent traipsing with the disembarking GMA

Now, fair lady, it’s real war.

* * * *

As we write this, it looks like we would be eating crow.

Former city mayor Benjamin Saplan Lim – the BSL – has apparently changed his mind and would engage Mayor Al Fernandez in the mayoralty elections. Word from the BSL camp says two things made him change his mind and this had something to do with 1) A grand plan of the Fernandezes to eventually change (under the substitution process allowed for candidates before December 14) their party’s standard-bearer  from Al to one of his sons. BSL apparently got wind of it and couldn’t take it , and. 2).the unceasing clamor  of people in the barangays and various sectors for him not to abandon their last hope for a change in city administration. He caved in.

Needless to say, Al and his supporters would have to be working double-time for this fight, probably Al’s last hurrah. To think that until about eight hours before the midnight deadline for the filing of candidacies today, Tuesday, wine glasses have been brought out for the apparent easy coasting to victory of Al and his ticket. BSL spoiled it all

Never mind if not all of those who asked BSL to run had the noblest intention or motive   – after his loss in the last outing for Congress against JDV and his son Brian’s parallel loss to Al Fernandez, this must have been altogether clear to the politician in him – but with his singular act to face the odds again, the Magic patriarch has shown he’s made of sterner stuff.

Now, Dagupenos have a choice

* * * *

Delicadeza has apparently flown out the window for the graduating president of the Repubklic

BARBARIC, uncivilized, insane, unpardonable.

These could be the adjectives that best describe the Maguindanao massacre where more than 30 journalists – in line of duty  — suffered painful death. Painful because there never was a chance for democracy to defend itself. The shocking incident crushed in one fell swoop the protective mantle reserved for the Fourth Estate.

The loss of lives of innocent and defenseless people because of political wardlordism is more than a reason for a massive indignation that demands an immediate rewriting of the Constitution with provisions requiring death by musketry for people, especially the misguided, unreligious Muslims, committing such a dastardly inhuman act.

In the Ampatuan massacre, the brain or brains behind the killings must have thought that the autonomous law for the Muslim region was a license to do anything they want in their territory. It’s like having a separate republic and so they’re not beholden to the Philippine constitution.

It’s been decades that the national government abetted warlordism in the south, at times using the warlords in a conspiracy to promote personal interests. The Ampatuans who succeeded the Pendatuns in the system of tyrannical fiefdom, fortify political power through a private army savagely loyal to them. And it is this savage loyalty that is crashing down law and order in the territory. 

Seven of those mercilessly killed journalists were of my acquaintance – Henry Araneta (DZRH), Mac-Mac Arriola (UNTV), Lea Dalmacio (Socsargen News), Lindo Lupogan and Napoleon Salaysay (Mindanao Daily Gazette of Ben Diansay), Bart Maravilla (Bombo Radyo) and Bong Reblando (Manila Bulletin).

 I will never forget their charming smiles and infectious laughter. The cherubic Bong Reblando, an old-time colleague in the Bulletin, would always proffer a drink or two at the National Press Club everytime he came to Manila, along with the wily and deep-thinking Ali Macabalang.

My heart bleeds for what unimaginably happened to them.

 A friend, retired military general Jovito Palparan, now a member of Congress representing Bantay Party-list, cautions against a whitewash in the case which, he believes, could trigger more bloody clashes in strife-torn Mindanao, but most especially in the endangered region of the Ampatuans. To Palparan, there is no difference between the leftist-terrorists and the rightist terrorists. Both camps are human rights violators.

Yes, the national leadership condemns the carnage and orders her minions to go after the suspects, regardless of their political affiliations. Kalimutan ang utang na loob. Pleasing to the ears but not enough to soothe the pains of the tragedy.

 Until the weapons actually used are turned over to the authorities and those responsible for the massacre are haled to court, the people’s remorse will not die down

IT’S a big question mark yet as this piece is being written whether Dagupan City Mayor Al Fernandez would be running unopposed. Will former hizzoner Benjie Lim heed the clamor of his supporters and finally join the fray? If he will, many will be happy including barangay officials and the media, huh?

Land Transportation Office chief Art Lomibao as of press time is still agonizing whether to face his ninang, Manay Gina de Venecia, or remain in his LTO turf. Anyway he has seven good months to go and who knows the next Malacanang occupant may be his friend. And he has yet to see his pet project RFID blossom under his watch.

The congressional race in the fifth district may be a walk in the park for Sison town Mayor Carmen “Kimi” Cojuangco, who last Friday afternoon already filed her certificate of candidacy.Binalonan Mayor Monching Guico, who earlier told a media forum he was offering himself as an open, ready-to-reach congressional representative, in allusion to the reported unreachable stance of Rep. Mark Cojuangco, seems to have changed his mind. He now wants to maintain his being a national figure (mayors’ league national prexy, you know) so he will try his luck in the Senate.

But wait. We heard reports that former Board Member Editha Demetria is having a moist eye on the fifth congressional post. Two ladies at the warfront. That’s a very interesting fight. People could not just set aside the Demetrias although they have lain low for quite some time because ofthe imbroglio gotten into by former appellate court Justice Demetrio Demetria. We think they are still a force to reckon with considering their blood ties with the President. Edith and Monching who are cousins are related with PGMA through Dona Eva. And the fact that Edith is a true-blue Pangasinense. Kimi cannot claim to be so.

 We hope that when this paper’s issue comes out, Edith would have already filed her COC. To us,That fight is more interesting than the others.

What’s clear now is the return bout between contestants Rachel Arenas, the incumbent third district representative, and lawyer Gallant Soriano, who has long been claiming that he was the real winner in the last election. Soriano last Saturday filed his COC, accompanied by another former contestant, Jun Tulagan, who is now eyeing a seat in the provincial board. Also around to give support to Soriano was former Rep. Gener Tulagan, who is challenging San Carlos City Mayor Julier “Ayoy” Resuello.

The Sorianos and Tulagans have joined forces to try to unseat the Arenases and Resuellos from their respective thrones. Interesting too.

In the first district, Burgos Mayor Domingo Doctor was the first to file his COC. He is faced against former Bolinao Mayor Boying Celeste and former TV journalist Maki Pulido, daughter of Anda Mayor Nestor Pulido and BM Alice.

The second district race likewise remains hazy as this piece was being written. Will former police Director Pol Bataoil run as congressman or mayor of Lingayen? Will health Secretary Pingcoy Duque also run as congressman or senator? What is definite is that former aspirant Kim Lokin will try again her luck this coming election.

Vice-Gov. Marlyn Primicias-Agabas, who has long entrenched herself at the sixth congressional district, will be tested by a national figure in PMS Secretary Jun Esperon, a former chief of staff of the Armed Forces. Esperon early this year began roaming around the district to introduce himself to the people there as he had been away for most of his military life. Was that enough to offset what Marlyn has built through the years? Also interesting.

The gubernatorial race remains the most anticipated fight though. It pits two battle-scarred giants. Incumbent Gov. Amado Espino, Jr. knows what it takes to win a war. He was able to win a congressional fight in an area away from his ancestral home. He made the second district his bailiwick, a factor that made him successful in his gubernatorial debut. His big winning margin in that district proved fatal for his opponent, Jamie Agbayani.

Now, Espino will not face a lady but a man. Second district Congressman Victor Agbayani is no stranger to big wars. Who would have thought that he was too strong against former Senator Leticia Shahani, whose elder brother  Fidel V. Ramos was the sitting Chief Executive during that time? Victor’s winning margin over Shahani was so much there’s no need to contest the result.

Agbayani proved again too much an opponent when he walloped three years later then second district Cong. Teddy Cruz, a rising star that time.

Two veterans with contrasting styles. It’s really very difficult to make a prediction. It’s not that easy to make one, the way boxing trainer Freddie Roach has been predicting a knockout for his prized ward Manny Pacquiao.

For the vice-gubernatorial race, the veteran Oca Lambino is pitted against a newcomer in Mapandan Mayor Ferdie Calimlim. As is most often the case, the war is partly tilted in favor of one over another by a deeper resources or funds. But how to use such resources is very important. Else, sayang labat .

Nen RAUL TAMAYO 

MABALINEN agpakaammo, sarag to lay manpa guwapo,satan so nibagak ed saray kandidato basta alwaran yo ya agyo bibitlaey paiboto, ta no saan madiskwalipika kayo.

Unong lanti ed Korte Suprema ed impangontra da ed samay ibabagay Omnibus Election Code ya kasumpal mon  mangiyarap na kandidaturam ed Comelec,kaukolan ya manpareen ka no  kandidato ka ta umpan naakusaan kan masakbay ya mangakampanya. Natan balet, ed panamegley na desisyon na korte suprema, sarag moy mangipatikyab na panangilugay lautla ta pasko la, mangipropaganda na kaisipan mo ed nanduruman isyu na bansa,luyag o baley o amay tatawagen mi ran taga media ya “advocacy plugs” basta dimo ibagbaga a botosan daka, ta no saan madaksan ka. 

Dakel la ray kaluyagan tayo ya nalalagaan la ed isabi na eleksiyon,lapu lagi ta ibabaga da lantin undelap kuno, aliwan danum ya manlapud San Roque, no ag ingen kuwarta ya manlapud bulsa na saray politiko. No wala so manunan isyo ya kaukolan ya naebatan ed sayay eleksiyon, satan et say kiwala komon na saray pasimbalo. Pasimbalo ed sistema na panangikurang na gobiyerno, pasimbalo ed paraan na pangekal na kurapsyon manlapud sangkatagyan ya dapag na uley paleksab, pian diad ontan et nasiguro tayon walan tua so aliguwas ya nagawa ed intiron bansa. Dinan tay kurapsyon ya tutukoyen ko dia a? Nia,basa yo ed untumbok ya dasig, pian nawalaan kayo na ideya ed satay kurapsyon. 

Anta yo tan walay nadngelan ko a sakey ya atagey ya opisyal na dipartamentoy inhinyeriya o DPWH diad luyag tayo ya bunga lay sayangeseng na dakel iran kontratista?  Ag kuno  nakulkultingan no diad betang so pantotongtongan,no inggetar toy porsiyento ya alaen to para ed samay kongresiman  to tan  para ed sikato,anggapoy pibabali to, no sarag na kontratista ya makalay proyekto ya iter o andi , say importante naala to. Tan,por Diyos por Siyento !!! Adda la ngarud mabagbagi nan iti alaen na a para ken ni congressman, sabalin to pay tay kukuwa na a kabukbukodan.Makitam, isu met la gayam a kasla puypuyotan a condom este lobo daytoy. Kanyan saray kontratista, kapilitan ya tikelen day parte na pondo ya ikana dad proyekto, ta no andi, lugi, kanyan suma total ,makapkapoy so kalidad na proyekto, amay  aspalto maimpis,kanyan kapaktak na uran say karsada, singa la sungkaan. Anto? Agta kurapsyon itan?

Say pakaantak kanyan inhinyero ray ikakarga da ditan, pian naisiguro so kalidad na saray proyekto na gobiyerno,balet ALIWA PILO!!!! Say mangkulekta met na porsiyento so kamaongan to..He he he, duman aplikasyon na matimatiks so anta to…Siopa ya? Ay anap yo met a, basta say antak ya ibaga,no nabasa to ya o siopa man ya kabat to, BATO-BATOD TAWEN…SAY NAKENA,MANGUNYAYENG…masamit anto? Balet angapo lay espasyo.niks wik la ta wala niy kabiangan to ya agla pigan wala niy   makabitla.nalikas to  lay papel ton ambasa la.

The SP members rose as one anew in passing Monday a resolution defending Villar and the PASG against recent criticisms and charges before the House of Representatives and the Office of the Ombudsman.

The cases have seemingly hit home this time as the PASG had been immobilized temporarily thru a court order. Villar however vowed he and his group will resume their operations just as soon as the court order is lifted.

The resolution said that since its creation in 2007 through Executive Order No. 624, PASG has performed creditably by busting rampant smuggling operations and other unlawful activities in violation of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines and other customs laws.

“PASG has become a major income-generating agency contributing P13 billion in duties and taxes,” said 6th District Board Members Alfonso Bince Jr., one of the main authors of the resolution.

Copies of the approved resolution will be sent to the Office of the President, the House of Representatives through Speaker Prospero Nograles, and the PASG office.

In a related development, PASG has filed smuggling charges and use of falsified official documents against Albay 2nd District Rep. Al Francis Bichara.

The charges were triggered by Bichara’s presentation of documents for four of his luxury vehicles seized by PASG and the National Bureau of investigation at Auto Sport Corporation Repair Shop along Pasong Tamo, Makati City in December 2007.

Esperon said even if the re-regulating pond would be in place, it will remain just a big swimming pool if the needed lateral canals leading to the rice-producing areas would not be in place.

Esperon, who is leaving his government post soon to run for a seat in Congress in the sixth district of Pangasinan, said the re-regulating pond is part of the Agno River Integrated Irrigation Project estimated to cost more than P11 billion, consisting of a P4.5 billion foreign loan component and P7.3 billion local counterpart.
He said the re-regulating pond will revolutionize the aging irrigation systems in Pangasinan built way back in 1957 during the administration of then President Carlos Garcia. (PNA)