Espino’s camp predict landslide win
WITH just eight days left in the campaign period, the camp of Gov. Amado Espino, Jr. claims the governor has widened his lead over arch rival, Rep. Victor Agbayani with the declaration of support by opposing mayoral candidates in ten towns.
Although caught up in their respective tight races, at least 20 mayoral candidates in the towns of Sta. Barbara, San Quintin, Calasiao, Urbiztondo, Bayambang, Manaoag, Dasol, Sison and Villasis and San Carlos City have pledged to support the reelection of Espino.
Also strongly rooting for Espino’s reelection are three clashing mayoral bets in San Fabian, a vote-rich town.
Still, five unopposed mayoralty candidates in Bolinao, Bugallon, Bautista, Mapandan and Sto. Tomas are expected to deliver “command votes” to ensure Espino’s retention as governor of the country’s third biggest province.
In the second district where Espino won by a landslide on his maiden entry into politics as congressional representative, the re-electionist governor is leading with 65 percent approval rating in a poll survey conducted by Margin Media Consultancy last week.
The survey polled 25 percent for Agbayani with 10 percent undecided.
Six rival congressional bets in the second, third, fourth and sixth districts also reportedly declared their support for Espino.
They are Provincial Board Member Nestor Reyes and retired police director Leopoldo Bataoil (2nd district); re-electionist Rep. Rachel Arenas and lawyer Galant Soriano (3rd district); and Vice Gov. Marlyn Primicias-Agabas and retired Gen. and former Presidential Management Staff (PMS) director-general, Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. (6th district).
The third congressional district has the biggest voting population of 364,901.
In vote-rich fourth district, both rival congressional contenders, Gina de Venecia, wife of former House Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr., and Celia Lim, wife of former Rep. and Dagupan City Mayor Benjamin Lim, publicly endorsed Espino.
The NP-NPC (Nacionalista Party-Nationalist People’s Coalition) alliance in the province spearheaded by 5th district Rep. Mark Cojuangco and Rep. Conrad Estrella III, along with Urdaneta City Mayor Amadeo Perez, Jr., have joined hands to deliver majority votes to Espino in the district.
Joining the pro-Espino alliance province-wide are Biskeg under the leadership of Undersecretary Antonio “Bebot” Villar, the Lakas-Kampi and the so-called “Espino-Liberals.”
Meanwhile, several evangelist (born again) groups, with an estimated voting strength of over 100,000, were reportedly consolidating their respective flocks for a “penultimate show of force” for Espino’s re-election.
Espino won the governorship against Agbayani’s wife, Jamie, in the 2007 local elections with a margin of 36,000 votes.
The Espino camp expressed optimism to double the winning margin this time, citing the multiple alliances now supporting the governor.
Pangasinan has 1,622,094 registered voters, the country’s third vote-rich province after Cebu and Metro Manila.
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