REMEMBER Belen Tamondong Fernandez who was made to file a certificate of candidacy for mayor ostensibly to derail the candidacy of then Vice Mayor  Belen Tan Fernandez, now city mayor of Dagupan?

The two Belens met again last January 23 at the City Museum and hugged each other like long lost friends.

Citizen Belen, a 67-year old widow from Barangay Bonuan Gueset, went into hiding for a while last year as she feared for her life after exposing an insidious plot of a political group to have her file her certificate of candidacy for mayor to muddle the candidacy of the vice mayor as having a namesake would have affected the vote count.

She told the media that a former kagawad of her barangay fetched her from their home, telling her that then mayor of Dagupan, Benjamin Lim, wanted to talk to her.

Clueless as to why the city executive would want to talk to her, she dressed up and went along to a fastfood chain at the junction of A.B. Fernandez Avenue and Arellano Street where she was treated to lunch as they met another henchman of the former mayor.

After lunch, she was brought to the mayor’s house where she was promised a motorized tricycle for her son and a house and lot of their own in exchange for signing a document which she said she did not understand and her photo taken.

She was then brought to a notary public at the second floor of the Malimgas Public Market III then to the City Election Office where the document she filed was signed and where she again affixed her signatures on some documents.

The camp of then Vice Mayor Fernandez learned about the filing of the other Belen’s certificate of candidacy and put the matter in question.

Upon realizing her mistake, citizen Belen withdrew her certificate candidacy the following day and narrated how she was fooled.

The two Belens have since become friends.

“Ako’y masayang-masaya at nagkita kaming muli dahil dati ko nang kaibigan si Mayor Belen, noon pang Vice-Mayor siya. Kahit wala pa ang eleksyon ay bumibisita na siya sa amin at laging tumutulong,” citizen Belen said.

During their meeting, citizen Belen thanked Mayor Belen for helping her family by giving her son employment in addition to the financial assistance to start her own sari-sari store business. (LVM)

Back to Homepage

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments