Baby A:  I’m just a caring Pinoy Big Mother

By Eva C. Visperas

Socialite and philanthropist Rosemarie “Baby” Arenas, who is again hogging the limelight in Pangasinan politics because of the congressional bid of her daughter, said she just wants peace among political leaders in the province.

“I’m the Pinoy Big Mother here who is only concerned and caring,” Arenas told this corner.

Arenas’ daughter, Harvard-educated Rachel Arenas, is eyeing the province’s third district congressional seat this coming May polls.

Although the young Arenas had taken her oath as LAKAS party member more than a year ago, the swearing in of her rival, lawyer Gallant Soriano, recently into the same party has caused uncertainties among local party leaders.

“We want peace here because when the mayors relayed to me their problems, I was alarmed,” Mrs. Arenas said.

“I’m just caring, concerned and committed for peace and unity for the third district,” Arenas added.

Just a little flashback. Baby A admitted she was upset when Governor Victor Agbayani issued an unsigned press statement last week calling the statements of Mrs. Arenas and Vice Governor Oscar Lambino as “irresponsible”.

Mrs. Arenas said Agbayani should better understand the word “irresponsible” as this might backfire on him on his governance.

In that unsigned press statement, Agbayani, LAKAS provincial party co-chair said, “They (Arenas and Lambino) should be more honest with their facts.”

Both Lambino and Arenas issued a wake up call to the hierarchy of LAKAS to look into the recruitment to the party being made by the governor because both believe this is creating disunity. Arenas, for her part, said she and the mayors are working for TEAM Unity and if this matter is not addressed, the administration ticket might suffer.

Some Pangasinan officials, particularly in the third district, took the cudgels for Mrs. Arenas after a newspaper report said they slammed on her  because of her warning about possible “bloodshed” should the problem on recruitment of new LAKAS members done by Agbayani, LAKAS provincial co-chairman, is not stopped.

“The good thing that happened here was surprisingly many called me up to pledge their support to me and to the candidacy of my daughter,” Arenas said.

Our conversation was suddenly cut by two phone calls from big political names, one is among the top respected political leaders in the country, and the other, a very, very, very rich and generous guy pledging support to Arenas’ daughter.

Her daughter had affiliated with LAKAS more than a year ago through Lambino, LAKAS party provincial chairman.

“We are one for all, all for one,” said third district mayors as they reaffirmed their earlier stand that there should be consultations with them regarding recruitment of new LAKAS members in order to prevent possible violence this coming May polls.

Lambino also told local reporters that the mayors in the third district remain supportive to the candidacy of Arenas for congressman. Aside from Arenas and Lambino, the other aspirants for third district congressional seat are graduating Bayambang Mayor Leocadio de Vera and Generoso “Jun Jun” Tulagan Jr, son of outgoing Congressman Generoso Tulagan Sr.

Malasiqui Mayor Alfonso Soriano said his fellow mayors stand firm on their  earlier call to LAKAS leaders that mayors should be given due courtesy as municipal LAKAS chairmen regarding the swearing in of new party members who will be running against incumbent LAKAS officials.

He clarified that in the mayors’ desire to avoid trouble later, they discussed among themselves, in the presence of Mrs. Arenas, what to do regarding the problem. In that meeting, he said they hoped the original LAKAS members will not be driven out from the party as they feared the swearing in earlier made by the governor of new LAKAS recruits will create trouble in the coming elections.

Agbayani also told this corner in a phone interview that he has opened channels for communication with some third district mayors. He clarified that except for Soriano, he has not drafted into LAKAS any mayoralty candidate in the third district. He said there is no incumbent LAKAS candidate for congressman in the third district because the incumbent congressman who is now graduating is a member of KAMPI.

But the mayors and Lambino in sist that they had to voice out their sentiments against the “indiscriminate” recruitment being made by Agbayani into the LAKAS, “to prevent a crack in the wall” as Soriano puts it.

He said what is happening within the LAKAS party in their district will have a negative impact on TEAM Unity. “Division is not good for our country right now,” he said.

Agbayani also said that he’d rather keep mum on other statements made by Mrs. Arenas.

Yes, I guess that’s a good move. A man should not fight with a woman or vice versa, especially a word war.

And Baby A? Well, I’m also a mother. I understand the ground where she is standing. But sometimes, we should not be carried away by our emotions, too.

There are words better left unspoken, right Gov?

(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/business-log/)

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