Ends Agbayanis’ 30-year old rule

LINGAYEN– An overwhelming majority have elected Rep. Amado Espino Jr. as new governor of this province, official results from 45 towns and four cities showed.

Results tallied by Provincial Board of Canvassers showed that Espino, a retired police superintendent and incumbent congressman of the second district of Pangasinan, won by a margin of 28,302 over Dr. Jamie Agbayani, wife of graduating governor Victor Agbayani.

Espino garnered 382,063 in the province’s six districts while Agbayani received 353,761 and Vice Gov. Oscar Lambino got 87,523.

The congressman won in five districts while Agbayani won only in the first district.

“The people have spoken. They have overwhelmingly supported a native son against a candidate from the longest reigning dynasty in Pangasinan,” said governor-elect Espino upon learning of his unprecedented victory.

The Agbayanis have ruled the province for more than 30 years under the late Aguedo Agbayani and its last-term governor, son Victor.

Espino, leading an administration ticket under KAMPI, won with his vice governor tandem Marlyn Primicias-Agabas.

Agabas thanked Pangasinenses who voted for her and saw her victory as a testament to the “people’s clamor for change”.

She said that together with Espino, “we vow to serve our provincemates with utmost commitment and dedication to finally move this great province forward.”

Agabas also took the opportunity to dispel all rumors about the reported ambush Thursday night saying, “With God’s grace, I am very much alive with my husband and children.”

Espino’s victory is considered unprecedented by political observers since he did not receive public endorsement from both the Iglesia Ni Cristo and sectors of the Catholic Church, and he was up against a virtual giant in local politics.

LAMBINO

Meanwhile, even before the official result was out, Lambino already conceded to Espino in a faxed statement to The PUNCH.

In   his signed press statement, Lambino congratulated Espino for emerging as “the majority’s choice to lead our beloved province for the next three years.”

“I respect the will of the people of Pangasinan as I always have done in the past. Having been the people’s servant for the past two decades, I have learned many things and one of these is to respect the will of the masters,” Lambino said.

He called on all his supporters and friends to cooperate with Espino whom he dubbed as “our new leader”.

He said he issued the press statement to ease the tension, heal the wounds and to preempt the uncertainties brought about by the past election.

For the vice governor position, Marlyn Agabas was way ahead with 481,917 against Dionisio Villar’s 241,214.

3rd DISTRICT

RACE

With the COCs  of  San Carlos City and Bayambang still to be counted, it was still mathematically impossible to predict the outcome of the elections for the congressional seat in the third district of Pangasinan.

Three of the four congressional candidates in the district — RachelArenas, Generoso Tulagan Jr. and Gallant Soriano — however, are already claiming victory.

Arenas said on Thursday that she won the election by a good 886 votes over second-running Tulagan and 1,841 over Soriano.

Soriano, in an earlier press release, said he won citing his own figures. Tulagan is also insisting on his own victory.

4TH DISTRICT

Meanwhile, Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. registered a total of 116,654 votes in the fourth district of Pangasinan compared to his lone opponent Dagupan City Mayor Benjamin Lim’s   52,010 votes or a difference of 59,644.

PROCLAIMED

Already proclaimed as of Friday were reelectionist Reps. Conrado Estrella III of the sixth district and Arthur Celeste of the first district. Estrella was unopposed while Celeste prevailed over retired Brig. Gen. Alberto Braganza.

The others proclaimed were the winning candidates for board member, namely: Jeremy Rosario and Liberato Villegas, for the fourth district; Nestor Reyes for the second district; Alice Pulido for the first district; and Alfonso Bince Jr. for the sixth district. — LM

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