Pangasinan officials affiliated with Biskeg na Pangasinan commended the majority congressmen under the leadership of House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr.  for deciding to abandon their plan to convene the Constituent Assembly without the participation of the Senate.

The commendation was contained in a resolution signed by 19 mayors, 16 vice mayors, four provincial board members, and 10 municipal councilors and the vice governor last December 15 during their Christmas party celebration with the members of local media at Inn Asia Hotel in Dagupan City.

Biskeg’s founding chairman and president, Undersecretary for Local Governance Antonio Villar Jr., said “It is our way of showing how much we love the speaker who is a great son of Pangasinan.”

He said the group has taken the cudgels for the Speaker noting the criticisms of the latter’s political detractors despite his “supreme sacrifice to bury the Charter Change through Con-Ass mode” he had long advocated.

Earlier, a Church-led prayer rally was held at the city plaza and Dagupan City Mayor Benjamin Lim who is rumored set to challenge de Venecia in 2007 elections in the fourth district congressional, seat assailed the speaker.

Those who signed the resolution were: Mayors Ariel de Guzman (Mabini), Simplicio Rosario (Binmaley), Jonas Castaneda (Lingayen), Amado Espino III (Bautista), Roy Macanlalay (Calasiao), Gregorio Tabayoyong (Laoac), Napoleon Sales (Manaoag), Jose Ferdinand Calimlim (Mapandan), Ricardo Revita (Rosales), Ricardo Evangelista (Aguilar), Angelita Jimenez(Dasol), Manuel Collado (Alcala), Ernesto Acain (Labrador), Alfonso Soriano (Malasiqui), Jose Peralta (Balungao), Nonato Abrenica (Villasis), Mojamito Libunao Jr. (San Fabian), Leocadio de Vera Jr.  (Bayambang) and Jolly Resuello (San Carlos City).

Board Members Amadeo Espino, Von Mark Mendoza, Emmanuel Carancho, Dionisio Villar Jr., and Nestor Reyes also signed the expression of support for the speaker.

The eleven vice mayors led by Dagupan City Vice Mayor Alvin Fernandez were Vice Mayors Eldred Tumbocon (Umingan), Alfredo Frias (Basista), Jose Ramos (Bayambang), Siony Calimlim (Mapandan), Simaco Sison (Labrador), Wilfredo Pescador (Sto. Tomas), Manuelito Noveda (Natividad), Carlos  Lopez Sr. (Asingan), Osmundo Lambino (Malasiqui), Bernardo de Vera (Bugallon) (Teofilo Humilde (Alaminos City), Wilson Rosete (Agno), Roderick Mina (Villasis), Julier Resuello (San Carlos City) and Jose Espino(Bautista) were among the signatories.

Former Mayor Carlito Zaplan of Sta. Barbara town as well as Vice Governor Oscar Lambino supported the resolution and signed it.

The Biskeg leaders cited President Gloria Arroyo’s statement hailing De Venecia for “heeding the voice of national consolidation and unity, without sacrificing their high vision of political renewal.”

The signatories also cited the Speaker’s “act of statesmanship to unify not only the two chambers of  legislature but the Filipino nation as well by heeding and responding positively to the people’s sentiments, it is now time to move on, unite and work for the country’s future.”

The resolution also negated malicious insinuations and allegations that this charter change initiatives are driven by selfish political motives and expressed the group’s total and unwavering support to De Venecia. – EVA

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