BATTLE ROYALE IN PANGASINAN

A BATTLE royale that will finally decide on who is who in Pangasinan politics has shaped up after incumbent Governor Amado Espino III and Fifth District Rep. Ramon Guico III filed their respective certificates of candidacy for governor on October 7.

Both Gov. Espino and Cong. Guico come from the Fifth District. Espino was former mayor of Bautista town while Guico was former mayor of Binalonan town. But Espino is also identified in the Second District where his younger brother Jumel is congressman, particularly in Bugallon where his mother Priscilla is the mayor.

On the other hand, Guico is riding on the crest of his popularity following his conquest of Espino’s father, Amado Espino Jr. in the Fifth District congressional race in 2019 elections.

Gov. Espino, is gunning for his third term of office, filed his CoC before the provincial office of the Commission on Elections in Dagupan at 8:00 a.m. under the ruling PDP Laban/API ( Abante Pangasinan and Ilocos) party while Lambino filed his COC at 11:00 a.m. under the Nacionalista Party.

Espino filed with his running-mate Second District Provincial Board Member Nestor “Nikki Boy” Reyes, the majority floor leader of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, and all his candidates for the provincial board (two each for the six districts).

Guico filed with his running-mate incumbent Vice Governor Mark Lambino. Some of their candidates for the provincial board already filed their COCs ahead. Both filed under the Nacionalista Party banner.

Reyes comes from the Second District town of Lingayen while Lambino comes from vote-rich Mangaldan where  his mother, Marlyn Lambino, is the incumbent mayor.

The governor was accompanied to the office of Provincial Elections Officer Marino Salas by his wife Karina while BM Reyes was accompanied by his wife Gertrudez.

It can be a four-cornered fight for governor following the filing of CoCs for virtually unknown Rolando Jimenez (PMP) and Carlos Padilla (Independent).

Those who filed for the provincial board posts under the Espino-Reyes tandem under PDP Laban/API were Richard Camba and Margelou Orange Humilde (1^st  District), Haida Pachero and Randall Bernal (2^nd District), Shiela Marie Baniqued and Raymond Camacho (3^rd District), Jerry Agerico Rosario and Marinor de Guzman (4^th  District), Nicoli Jan Louie Sison and Rosary Grace Tababa (5^th  District), Salvador Perez Jr. and Noel Bince (6^th  District).

The other candidates for provincial board were: 1^st District – Apolonia Bacay (NP), Napoleon Fontelera (NP); 2^nd District- Bonifacio Batecan (PDP Laban); 3^rd District – Edgar Ramirez (NP), Eduardo Gonzales (PMP), Generoso Tulagan Jr.;  4^th District- Sonny Gubatan (NP), Mojamito Libunao Jr., (NP); 5^TH District – Maura Jennifer Garcia (Lakas CMD), Jesus Basco (Lakas CMD); 6^th District- Reynaldo de Guzman (MPP), Rebecca Saldivar (NP);

Those who already filled for congressional seats Rachael Arenas (3rd District), Christopher de Venecia (4th District), Ramon Guico Jr. (5th District), Levy Nisperos (6th District), Jumel Espino (5th District); Arthur Celeste (1st District) and Teofilo Villamor (6th District), former Gov. Oscar Orbos (Aksyon) for the 1st district, Clemente Arboleda Jr., for the 5th district, former Rep. Marlyn Primicias Agabas (PDP/API) for 6th district; Marcos Cojuangco (NPC) for 2nd district and Alvin Fernandez (independent) for 4th district.  Those who already filled for congressional seats Rachael Arenas (3rd District), Christopher de Venecia (4th District), Ramon Guico Jr. (5th District), Levy Nisperos (6th District), Jumel Espino (5th District); Arthur Celeste (1st District) and Teofilo Villamor (6th District), former Gov. Oscar Orbos (Aksyon) for the 1st district, Clemente Arboleda Jr., for the 5th district, former Rep. Marlyn Primicias Agabas (PDP/API) for 6th district; Marcos Cojuangco (NPC) for 2nd district and Alvin Fernandez (independent) for 4th district. (Leonardo Micua/Eva Visperas)

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