“Guv is best actor”- So
FORMER ALLIES’ WORD WAR
DAGUPAN CITY—Gov. Amado T. Espino Jr. and Engr. Rosendo So, chair of Abono partylist, were once the closest political allies but the same politics recently made both a bitter political detractor of each, and are now engaged in a heated word war over the alleged black sand mining issue in Pangasinan.
Abono partylist chair So shows to media Tuesday the trophy he would give Gov. Espino as “best actor” (Punchphoto by Tita Roces)
“I am giving this trophy as best actor to Amado Espino Jr for black sand mining. He is engaged in a drama,” Engr. Rosendo So, chairman of Abono partylist and Samahan ng Industriyang Agrikultura, said in a press conference last Tuesday.
So was visibly irked by the governor’s statements dragging his name into the black sand controversy in an earlier press conference Saturday in Lingayen town. In that forum, Mr. Espino manifested his sentiments after the Office of the Ombudsman affirmed its decision indicting him and several others for violating the anti-graft and corrupt practices law for allegedly allowing alleged black sand mining in favor of unqualified contractors.
Mr. Espino accused his erstwhile allies and specifically named So as the ones behind the case filed against him and the “speedy” release of the Ombudsman decision.
“I am just wondering why Engr. Rosendo So, my friend and a fellow Filipino, can afford to do such thing when he knew himself that the allegations are not true,” the governor reportedly said.
So said the black sand mining issue had been in existence in 2011 and maintained no one can influence the Ombudsman about its decision on the matter. “I am saddened that he wants to use this as a political issue. This is not politically-motivated,” So added.
He said the governor erred by not following the procedures in the black sand mining.
“We don’t want black sand mining here in our province… No one is to be blamed here except him,” he said.
Espino and So were once strong political allies turned political enemies but parted ways when So decided to support former 5th District Rep. Rep. Mark Cojuangco who is eyeing the gubernatorial post on May 9 against Espino’s son and namesake, Amado Espino III.
So and Mr. Cojuangco have been close friends long before they backed Mr. Espino’s political bids.
He also reacted sharply to the governor’s statement who was quoted as having said “What they wanted was for me and my son not to run so that Mr. Cojuangco will be unopposed in the coming polls,” Espino’s statements added.
So vehemently denied the governor’s claim that there are efforts to make he Cojuangcos unopposed in their respective bids and accused Espino of insincerity
He maintained that the governor’s body language confirms that he had long planned to push his son to run for governor, contrary to what he tells the public.
“This is not like a royalty where the king or the queen passes their throne to their children,” So said. (Tita Roces)
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