BUGALLON—The die is cast. Rep. Amado Espino Jr. of the second district of Pangasinan has announced that nothing can stop him at this stage in his plan to run for governor of Pangasinan.

“As far as I am concerned, it is final,” said Espino, in an interview at his farm here.

He said not even House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. or  Governor Victor Agbayani, whom Espino considers his allies in politics, can dissuade him from gunning for the highest post in the province.

He will be running under Kabalikat ng mga Mamamayang Pilipino (Kampi), the political party of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Espino said support for his candidacy has been assured by four of his six fellow congressmen from Pangasinan, namely Reps. Mark Cojuangco of the fifth district, Conrado Estrella III of  the sixth district, Generoso Tulagan of the third district, and Arthur Celeste of the first district.

Cojuangco and Estrella are with the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) while Tulagan and Celeste are with him in the Kampi party.

He said he understands if De Venecia of the fourth district can’t extend him help because his party, the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats, will surely field its own candidate.

“I am running for governor. But it will be NPC and Kampi that will be supporting me if Lakas will field another candidate,” said Espino, regional and provincial chairman of Kampi.

FAILED TALKS

Espino said he has held talks with the outgoing governor, who is reportedly bent on fielding his wife Dr. Jamie Eloise Manzano-Agbayani.

In those talks, Espino has suggested that Agbayani run for the congressional seat he is vacating then let Agbayan’s wife be his running mate as vice governor under his ticket.

Moreover, the governor can also allow Agbayani’s elder brother, Luis, to return as mayor of Sual, after the latter was defeated in the congressional race in the first district in the 2004 polls.

The discussions bogged down when Governor Agbayani said that the results of the consultations they conducted indicate it his wife will be running for governor.

The congressman clarified that he talked to the governor not simply to dissuade his wife from running against him for the gubernatorial post but in consideration of the existing alliance among Lakas, Kampi, NPC and the LP wing under the leadership of Manila Mayor Lito Atienza.

He said in case he wins as governor, he will be good only for two terms as he only wants to make a difference in the lives of Pangasinenses and the province. Thus, if Agbayani so desires, he can return as governor after that.

Espino said somebody should take over from the Agbayanis since they have already been dominating politics in Pangasinan for about half a century now.

AGAINST HIS “MISTAH”

Another predicament that Espino, a retired police colonel and a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy, will have to contend with is the possible candidacy for the same post by his “mistah” in PMA class 1972, retired Police Director General Arturo Lomibao.

Lomibao, from Mangaldan, has also announced his intention to run for governor of Pangasinan.

Espino said he and General Lomibao, who were both credited and decorated for the capture of then New People’s Army leader Bernabe Buscayno, alias ‘Kumander Dante’ in the early 70s in Mexico, Pampanga, earlier vowed never to face each other in politics.

Espino said “I have already declared that I am running (for governor) and Art knew that.”

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