Mejia shifts to Gina-Belen-Michael
KAPITANS’ DEFECTION BEGINS
THE Gina-Belen-Michael team now claims an almost irreversible lead over Lim-Lim-Lim ticket with the sudden defection on Friday of Barangay Chairman Rico Mejia of Bonuan Gueset to their side with only three days to go before the election.
Mejia, a major supporter of Mayor Benjamin Lim, surprised many when he decided to declare his support for the Gina-Belen-Michael Team during a hurriedly organized caucus at the Bonuan Gueset gym Friday afternoon.
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IGLESIA NI CRISTO’S CHOICE
The candidacies of 4th District Rep. Gina de Venecia and Belen Fernandez, the Liberal Party mayoralty bet, were endorsed by the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC), which is known to vote as one block.
Brian Lim, vice mayoralty candidate of the opposing Nacionalista Party, was also chosen by INC.
The candidates endorsed for councilor are: Maybelyn Fernandez, Karlos Reyna, Jeslito Seen, Marilyn Manaois Reyna, Marvin Fabia and Alfie Fernandez, all of the LP; and Jesus Canto, Alvin Coquia and Redford Erfe-Mejia, NP.
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Mayor Lim and his men, accompanied by some media reporters, attempted to barge into the caucus in a bid to stop Mejia’s defection but were stopped by uniformed security personnel at the gate.
They backed down on learning that former Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., Gina’s husband, was among those in the caucus.
Also at the caucus, aside from Rep. De Venecia, Belen Fernandez and Michael Fernandez were Maybelyn Fernandez, Solo de Venecia and their supporters.
Mejia’s support to the team is deemed significant because Bonuan Gueset is the biggest of the 31 barangays in Dagupan with over 22,000 registered voters.
Mejia acknowledged that he cannot turn his back on former Speaker De Venecia whom he owes so much for the many projects built by him in his barangay.
He said the Gina-Michael-Belen Team can be assured of his followers support as well.
Meanwhile, the De Venecia camp said other barangay chairmen allied with Mayor Lim have began sending feelers to join the Gina-Belen-Michael Team but have asked that their names not be divulged for fear of retribution by supporters still loyal to the Lim family.
It was noted that Mejia’s son, Steve, who is barangay administrator of Bonuan Gueset, has long been joining the campaign sorties of the Gina-Belen-Michael Team.
A late report from Steve said Lim’s bodyguards were seen returning to their residence at 8 pm but retreated after seeing a detail of uniformed army soldiers guarding their house.
Lim could not be reached at presstime for his reaction to Mejia’s defection. The city information office had no comment.
Meanwhile, Superintendent Christopher Abrahano, officer-in-charge of the Dagupan Police, assured the public that there is nothing to be alarmed about with the increased visibility of policemen in many areas of the city.
He said this this is intended to ensure that no untoward incident will happen before, during and after the election in the city, which is one of the identified areas of concern by the police.
The mayor recently protested the surveillance being conducted on a number of his supporters whom the police tagged as memberts of partisan armed group.
An unspecified number of policemen from Region 1 are in Dagupan to maintain order and prevent the movement of goons and guns that may be used to intimidate the voters.
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