Lim challenges Fernandez
LP VERSUS NP IN DAGUPAN
THE familiar old political lines are drawn in Dagupan.
The re-election bid of Dagupan Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. under the Liberal Party is being challenged by Benjie Lim, himself a former mayor of the city who is staging a political comeback under the colors of the Nacionalista Party.
Lim, who earlier announced his retirement in politics, filed his candidacy on Tuesday, an hour before the midnight deadline, together with his NP ticket. The members of the LP slate filed their certificates of candidacy (COCs) on Sunday morning.
The Fernandez-Lim match is also touted as the return of the old duel between the country’s oldest political parties, the LP and the NP. The Lakas-Kampi-CMD did not field any candidate.
Fernandez is running with Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez who is up against Antonio Uy, a member of the board of directors of the Dagupan City Water District and a close business associate of Lim.
In the 2007, Fernandez, who served as Immigration Commissioner after his third and final term as Dagupan mayor, beat Lim’s son Brian by a wide margin.
In that same election, then city mayor Lim too got a beating from then Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. for the congressional seat in the 4th District.
Lim’s wife, Celia, is also running in 2010 as an independent candidate in the 4th District..
NP SLATE
The NP Lim-Uy tandem reportedly had a hard time completing the ticket after some members of prominent political families backed out from joining the group.
Lim reportedly tried to draw in former Councilor Liberato Reyna Jr., former Vice Mayor Teodoro Manaois III, or incumbent Councilor Jesus Canto to be his running mate but all turned down the offer.
Lim’s slate for councilors includes former Councilor Nicanor Aquino, Redford Christian Erfe Mejia, Maximo Alexis Tan, Butch Torio, Alexander Siapno, Joseph Anthony Manaois, Guillermo Vallejos, Allan Sison, Alexander Zarate, and James Arenas.
LP SLATE
Meanwhile, the candidates of the heavily favored LP slate are re-electionists Librada Reyna (NPC), Jesus Canto, Alipio Serafin Fernandez, Luis Samson Jr., Alfredo Quinto and Karlos Liberato Reyna IV, and comebacking Alex de Venecia (NPC), Maybelyn Fernandez, Jeslito Seen and Alvin Coquia.
Mayor Fernandez said his ticket, although filed under the LP banner, is actually a coalition. Many of his candidates were also nominated by local Biskeg na Pangasinan Party while two candidates for councilors belong to the Nationalist People’s Coalition.
Fernandez said he’s nominated by LP, NPC and Biskeg while Vice Mayor Fernandez is under LP and Biskeg umbrella along with the rest of the candidates for councilor.
Librada Reyna and De Venecia are under NPC only.
Six independent candidates are vying for council seats namely: Roberto Salayog, Tito Perez, Michael Sim, Arsenio Jake Flores, Ignacio dela Cruz Jr., and Eves Michael Aguila.
In a press statement shortly after filing his COC, Lim admitted he had earlier decided to retire from politics but the call from the different sectors is so strong “that I can’t just deny and allow that Dagupan people would not have the luxury to choose their leaders”.
Lim was accompanied to the city election office by some of his supporters, a few of them were his co-workers during his reign as city mayor.
“I hope the Dagupeños would be glad to be having a choice now and to choose their leaders. I hope for the better that’s why I decided to sacrifice my time again to try to serve the city in my capacity,” he said.
Mayor Fernandez welcomed the reentry of Lim in city politics. —LM
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