Cojuangco, a man of his word
COJUANGCO UPDATES
FORMER Fifth District Rep. Mark Cojuangco said he is one who keeps his word of honor up to the very end, especially to officials of Pangasinan.
Cojuangco told a gathering of leaders recently that this is one trait he faithfully keeps, especially in his political dealings.
“I have a word of honor and if I say I will support you, I really mean it,” he said.
He added that once he gives his commitment of support to a certain candidate, he no longer entertains other parties or his rivals.
Cojuangco recalled that when he was still a congressman in 2001, he, with the other four congressmen and former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., talked among themselves on who would be the next governor of Pangasinan after then Gov. Victor Agbayani’s third term was about to end.
It was then a toss-up between then Congressmen Amado Espino Jr. and Conrad Estrella III. But Estrella gave way to the elder Espino, who, according to Cojuangco did good in his first term.
It was supposed to be one term only for Espino but the group agreed to support him for another term and again for his third term, Cojuangco said.
Cojuangco said they did their best to campaign for Espino being a partymate in the Nationalist Peoples’ Coalition (NPC), the party founded by Cojuangco’s dad, former ambassador Danding Cojuangco.
He recalled that on the third term of Espino, it was his toughest battle as the administration endorsed another candidate, then Alaminos City mayor Nani Braganza, who enjoyed the full backing of Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas.
“We fought hard for him (Espino) and defended him even on national television,” he said, adding that the aid extended to his campaign chest from their group surpassed the fund used by his wife Kimi in her own congressional re-election.
“We did not leave him,” he said.
But things turned sour when Cojuangco announced in February last year his gubernatorial plan for 2016.
Soon thereafter, the governor resigned from the NPC with his two sons (Bugallon Mayor Jumel Espino and Board Member Amado Espino III) and his brother Bautista Mayor Amadeo Espino.
But Cojuangco pointed out that no other mayor who belongs to the NPC followed suit.
“Right now I have 41 mayors supporting my gubernatorial plan,” he said.
Cojuangco said he has to share these anecdotes to clarify and belie text messages that circulated among the barangay officials lambasting him and his advocacies, including some projects he delivered to the people of Pangasinan, as he introduces himself to the people, especially to those outside his congressional district.
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