PANGASINENSES OK CHA-CHA

Province-wide results reach 27.04%

LINGAYEN – The campaign for signatures to support the “People’s Initiative” launched by local officials, has already reached 27.04 percent as of Tuesday.

According to Sixto Aquino, provincial local government operations officer based here, all towns and cities in Pangasinan have already submitted the signatures to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for verification.

Based on partial reports, District One (Sual, Alaminos City, Bolinao, Agno, Burgos, Anda, Dasol, Mabini, Bani, Infanta) delivered 24.51 percent; District Two (Lingayen, Binmaley, Aguilar, Basista, Mangatarem, Urbiztondo, Labrador, Bugallon) posted 23.58 percent; while District Three (Calasiao, Sta. Barbara, Mapandan, Malasiqui, San Carlos City and Bayambang) hit 28.20 percent.

District Four (Dagupan City, San Fabian, Mangaldan, San Jacinto and Manaoag) had 30.74 percent; District Five (Binalonan, Sto. Tomas, Urdaneta City, Villasis, Sison, Laoac, Alcala, Bautista, Pozorrubio and Binalonan) got 29.94 percent, and District Six (Asingan, San Quintin, Sta. Maria, Rosales, Umingan, Balungao, Tayug, San Nicolas, Natividad, San Manuel) had 24.43 percent.

Sto. Tomas town garnered the highest percentage of gathered signatures with 63.91 percent.

The town has been noted in the past for consistently voting overwhelmingly for its chosen candidate and delivering zero votes to others. In the 2004 presidential elections, Sto. Tomas voters delivered zero votes to candidate Fernando Poe Jr. and other candidates not endorsed by the Villar political family.

Other towns that turned out the most were San Fabian (44.35%), Manaoag (40.45%), San Nicolas (38.21%) Mapandan (36.47%) and Malasiqui (35.42%).

The Constitution requires at least 12 percent of registered voters supporting the move and at least three percent in every district to push for the amendments through the people’s initiative mode.

Aquino said they were directed to submit to the central Office their report by April 10 but he said it doubts that the verification process shall have been completed by then.

Meanwhile, Aquino said the signature campaign went on “very smoothly” in Pangasinan with no report of any untoward incident. As of press time, he said there was no monitored drive for gathering of anti-Chacha signatures in the province.

Speaker Jose De Venecia said he is confident that the new Interim Parliament will be in place by July after a plebiscite for Chacha in June. –EVA

Dagupan
result

NOT enough time.

This was how Barangay Captain Lino Fernandez of Lucao described his task gathering signatures from the barangays for the People’s Initiative.

Fernandez said barangay captains were only given 3 to 4 days to gather support for the People’s Initiative seeking to amend the Constitution.

Fernandez said the time given them was not enough for them to explain the issues of People’s Initiative and to encourage as many people to support the Charter Change.

He said he managed to solicit only 1,500 signatures from his barangay out of 3,900registered voters, or 38%.

“Kung binigyan sana kami ng medyo mahabang oras, palagay ko madadagdagan pa namin yung pirma,” said Fernandez adding that they had a deadline to meet which was last March 29.

Fernandez said some people in his barangay expressed their objection in amending the Constitution because they believed that if they support the move, there will be no more elections in the country.

Bonuan Boquig barangay captain Carino Aquino agreed with Fernandez that they did not have enough time to explain the issues.

“Yung iba kasi hindi nila maintindihan kung ano yung pinapapirma sa kanila, kaya hindi sila makapag-decide kung pipirma ba sila o hindi,” said Aquino.

Both Fernandez and Aquino said they are in favor of the proposed amendment because they believe that changing the Constitution is the best way to resolve the political crisis that continues to hounding the country.

Meanwhile, there were reports that barangay captains here received P5,000 each as incentives to push the People’s Initiative in their respective barangays.

The alleged distribution of money reportedly happened during the “Cha-Cha” forum last March 22 presided by Vice Mayor Alvin Fernandez.–AQL

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments