By Leonardo Micua

 

I have yet to fathom why former Mayor Brian Lim opted to run for vice mayor of Dagupan instead of settling an old score with reelectionist Mayor Belen Fernandez.

Instead of a return bout between Mayor Belen and Brian, his mother Celia is taking up the fight for the city’s helm.

Brian was first rumored to be bent on opposing Manay Gina de Venecia in her congressional bid for the fourth district. But he eventually changed his mind and reportedly set his eyes on running again for Dagupan mayor.

In a post on the Facebook page Information on Dagupan, the Lims’ supporters were made to believe he’s gunning for the top post in Dagupan with former Vice Mayor Alvin Fernandez as his running mate. But Alvin eventually decided to run against Gina.

Also mentioned in that post as one of the possible candidates for councilor under Brian was Teddy Villamil, who has now shifted to Belen’s UnliSerbisyo team.

Supporters who expected a Lim-Fernandez tandem in the 2025 elections seem to have been taken for a ride. Unknown to them, Celia already had a prepared CoC for mayor while Brian prepared his CoC for vice mayor.

Many are now asking: Is Brian afraid of Belen?

Is that why instead of leading his family to fight their old political and business enemy, he chose to go up against Vice Mayor Bryan Kua, Belen’s running mate?

He probably thinks Belen is difficult to beat while VM Kua is an easier foe.

Well, he’s dead wrong.

Note that Belen beat Brian by more than 14,000 votes in the 2022 elections while reelectionist VM Bryan Kua beat his opponent, Carlos Alipio Fernandez, by an even bigger margin.

Bryan Kua is still the man to beat for vice mayor of Dagupan. His posts on his Facebook pages show him constantly in the company of ordinary folks in different barangays, which the Lims or their colleagues did not do during their reign.

Like Belen, VM Bryan has endeared himself to the people of Dagupan, especially those right in the communities.

I believe that for Dagupeño voters, it is the love that you give to the people in their times of need that really counts, and not the volume of saliva that you spew against your opponent that will make them vote for you.

It is still a long way to go before the election, but Belen and Bryan at this point seem to be the unbeatable pair that Dagupeños really want.

But maybe, Brian’s run for vice mayor is only a tactical move in preparation for the 2028 elections. If he wins in 2025, he’ll surely run for mayor of Dagupan in 2028 because Vice President Sara Duterte will likely need someone to anchor her campaign in Dagupan and Pangasinan.

Or, is the L-L team sending the message that in order to avoid a frontal collision between the two biggest political and business families in Dagupan, the UnliSerbisyo team can get the top, while they (L-L) get the next highest?

If Belen agrees, this will spell a political disaster in her next administration and in 2028. If I were Belen, I will campaign hard not only for myself and VM Bryan Kua but also for all my 10 candidates for councilors.  This should appeal to her as a matter of survival.

Lastly, I must ask, who is Celia compared to Belen in every aspect of performance? And even Brian to Belen?

I think most of us know the easy answer to those questions.

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