Why they won

By Al S. Mendoza

JOE de Venecia won again. Anybody surprised by that?

 Not me.

 Al Fernandez recaptured city hall.  Anybody surprised by that?

 Not me.

Amado “Espines” Espino won as Pangasinan governor.  Anybody surprised by that?

Not me.

Victor Agbayani won as congressman in my district (second district).  Anybody surprised by that.    

Not me.

Joe DV won because he is about the most astute politician Pangasinan has ever produced.

From being a badly beaten presidential bet in 1998, Joe DV has rebounded magnificently and quickly reclaimed his post as the virtually unchallenged Speaker of the House.

There ought to be a Hall of Fame for Pangasinan politicians.  My first nominee would be Joe DV.

Not Tabako.

Tabako, a.k.a. FVR, was never a politician.  He was a product of history.

Tabako used his Edsa heroics in 1986 to get to Malacañang, not as a politician as he never held a single political office before he got himself elected President.

In fact, Tabako made a detour   to the Palace by ignoring the outcome of a party convention choosing Monching Mitra the standard bearer in the 1992 presidential election.

After his defeat at the polls, Mitra, a former House Speaker himself, carried that most painful episode in his checkered life all the way to his grave.

Fate, indeed, has been unkind to Mitra, also a former journalist.

But if no one’s surprised over Joe DV’s victory- the one he thrashed, Benjie Lim is his mere protege -no one’s likewise surprised over the victories of Buloy Al, Espines and Victor.

History has not only been kind to them. The luster of their political stars has remained unfading through time.

It matters, too, that their opponents are virtual nobodies, if not downright unworthy.

Buloy Al defeated Brian Lim because Brian was more of an insult to Dagupan voters than one capable of holding even a Kagawad post. Brian being the son of Benjie sealed the kid’s doom.

While Buloy Al was an undefeated three-term mayor, a former Immigration commissioner and a consistent top leader of the City Mayors League of the Philippines, Brian Lim, not yet 30 offered nothing but a family name that spelled not magic but mere malls.

Espines won with the benefit of sheer timing.

He knew Victor was a graduating governor. 

He knew there wasn’t a worthy candidate for the post to be vacated by Victor.

A shrewd politician with six years in Congress backstopping him, Espines, a decorated PMAer, always knew when to attack.

Not even the charms and disarming smile of Victor’s wife, Jamie, were enough to propel the doktora to Princess Urduja.

Pangasinan voters are not that dumb anymore as to vote a rookie to be their governor, no matter that she has an Agbayani for a family name.

Espines, a former provincial commander of Pangasinan, had the kapitolyo in the bag months before he ran for office.

Now, how come Victor won in my district?

Well, Bengzon was an old hat for an opponent. 

Lokin, although as pretty as the Victor’s doktora, was as raw as Brian Lim to aspire for a post as daunting as a lawmaker.

My constituents are merciful, if not just and fair. They rejected the doktora and adopted Victor to equalize things.

Now had I ran, would I have given Victor a run for his money? 

I guess not. I don’t have the money to fund my campaign.  But many others believe otherwise.

“It’s not all money, buddy,” said Teddy Cruz, who was speaking from experience.  Ted won with pennies in his pocket, routing his wealthy foe backed by lotto winnings.

Ted believed I could have won.

I’m not surprised.

Ask Espines.

(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/general-admission/)

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