SOME 2,000 loyal supporters of Governor Amado Espino III and his brother, Second District Rep. Jumel Espino, staged a prayer and candle-lighting rally dubbed as “Pangasinan: Anyare?” at the Capitol Plaza on the night of May 16 to protest alleged cheating in the just-concluded election.

The participants from different towns and cities carried placards expressing their support to the Espino brothers who both lost in the election to Fifth District Rep. Ramon Guico III and former Fifth District Rep. Mark Cojuangcco, respectively.

Chanting “Recount!, Recount”, the rallyists believe the Espino brothers won in the election but were cheated.

Some of the placards read: “Pangasinan is not for sale”.  “Si Gob. Pogi pa rin ang Gobernador  ko” and “Ikaw ang idol ko, Ikaw ang congressman ko, Jumel Espino”.

Although the Espinos distanced themselves from that activity, Gov. Espino, Congressman Espino and their father, former Gov. Amado Espino Jr. thanked the organizers of the rally for their expression of support.

Up to May 17, the Abante Pangasinan Ilokano (API), the political party that carried Espino III and his running mate Second District Board Member Nestor Reyes has not filed an electoral protest as pledged earlier over the results of the election for governor and Second Congressional District.

Such an election protest will be filed before a regular court.

The protest action came few hours after the group of lawyer Laudemer Fabia filed a People’s Initiative petition before the Provincial Elections Office in Dagupan seeking a  manual recount of the election due to alleged irregularities that marred the polls, particularly, in the transmission of returns from the precinct level to the Comelec. (Leonardo Micua)

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