Shahani: Espino still the best bet
LINGAYEN— Sixth District Board Member Ranjit Shahani said Alaminos City Mayor Hernani Braganza, the gubernatorial nemesis of Governor Amado T. Espino Jr., would be a “General Problem” if he is elected as governor as he may install a red flag at the Capitol.
Shahani, speaking before capitol employees during the 27th anniversary of EDSA Revolution on February 25 flag raising ceremony held at the Capitol Complex, said, “Although sometimes we have some differences of opinion with the governor, I salute him as a police superintendent who retired with the rank of chief superintendent, now serving as the governor general of Pangasinan and commander-in-chief of the Republic of Pangasinan.”
Shahani said pointblank, “Hindi yung kamag-anak ko ang kandidato ko kundi yung tunay na ama ng lalawigan ng Pangasinan, si Gov. Espino,” referring to Braganza who is his cousin.
He added that if Filipinos are to prosper, good citizenship must count for more than ties of blood, kinship and private interest.
Citing how Espino has transformed the Capitol to become one of the best looking in the country and provided first-rate services to the people, Shahani said Braganza is having an illusion that he can snatch the Urduja House and hold the most powerful office in the province of Pangasinan.
“Masama if you’re on the wrong side of history and it’s always good to be on the right side of history because Gov. Espino has concretized the destiny of Pangasinan which is to be — as it is now — number one in the Philippines,” he said.
As he gave emphasis on the immortal ideology of Ninoy Aquino who said “The Filipinos are worth dying for”, along with what FVR (Fidel Valdez Ramos) and ATE (Amado T. Espino) have said, “the Filipino with more reason is worth living for, in a peaceful and democratic process,” Shahani said Espino is not present during the flag-raising ceremony because he is Manila together with the former president to attend the 27th anniversary of the People Power Revolution.
Shahani recounted that the governor, who was then serving as Metropolitan District Commander in Angeles City, Pampanga, was an ally of the liberation forces aligned with the EDSA group of FVR, Now Senator Juan Ponce Enrile and RAM, Gringo Honasan and Jaime Cardinal Sin. Shahani recalled how Espino’s command contained the throng of Marcos loyalists from the Ilocos heading Manila to reinforce the military forces of then President Ferdinand Marcos during the last few days of the Marcos regime.
Adding that FVR challenges Filipinos to confront and remove self-serving leaders, greedy autocrats and clips of corrupt officials including here in Pangasinan, he quoted FVR, “Filipinos must not forget the essence of EDSA 1 as the Philippines conserve as a model for other developing nations.”
“Ang pagtatapos ng continued revolution sa EDSA ay hindi po yung pagtumba ng diktadurya at magkaroon ng kalayaan, kailangan po magkaroon ng progreso ang bawat Pilipino,” he said in wishing, “Sana maging kapatas-patas tayo so we’ll have a nation under God where all Filipinos and Pangasinenses are equal.”
Shahani, a Liberal party member, opined that Espino is the best governor in the history of Pangasinan.
Should Espino be re-elected in May for a third and final term, Shahani said, “we’ll be closer to realizing the Golden Age of Pangasinan, and the final victory of EDSA 1 here in the heartland of Luzon.” (PIO/Mark Gerry N. Oblanca)
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