NO ‘PAKURONG’ THIS TIME. Many Dagupan voters were saddened when Manang Celia Lim withdrew from the mayoralty race and vice mayoralty aspirant Dean Bryan Kua did likewise, leaving Mayor Belen Fernandez and Vice Mayor Brian Lim now unopposed in their respective bids for a second term of office.

Only the election of the candidates to the 10-seats in the city council, a first time in history of the city will happen which many believe will be the least exciting if not boring. This will be done without the thrill and drama of the much anticipated continuation of the battle of titans (Battle of Malls) between the Fernandezes and Lims that started in 2013 when then VM Belen beat then Mayor Benjie.

Personally, I had expected only Celia to withdraw as she and her son Brian were not seen making the rounds of the barangays as a tandem that even led others to believe that the mother-son tandem was possibly overseas.

Not Bryan Kua. He was busy as a bee and even called us last week to say he was determined to slug it out with the incumbent vice mayor come hell or high water.

We don’t know what made Kua change his mind having seen him spend a lot of time, tirelessly making the rounds of the barangays with Team Belen, generously helping people who came to him for assistance.  His sudden withdrawal from the race is puzzling, so the only logical explanation is that he was coaxed by unseen hands to back out with the promise to reimburse all his expenses. I might be wrong.

With the two highest officials in the city now running unopposed, the usual fans of “pakurong” that occur every eve of the elections, are now disappointed. What they thought would be a chance at a big bonanza suddenly vanished into thin air.

On the other hand, the new development is also hailed as a defining moment for Dagupan City because the possible absence of the shameful “pakurong” this election may finally lead to the end of vote-buying in the city.

All’s that left is the contest for the 10 seats in the city council by 16 candidates. The LPs have fielded a complete slate, the NPs have 3 and 3 independents,

A cinch to be number one councilor to my mind for the third time, with apologies to the other aspirants, is Maybelyn Fernandez of Team Belen. She also brought honor to Dagupan by becoming the national president of the Philippine Councilors League, a feat no other city councilors before her accomplished. – Leonardo Micua

 

THE DO-NOTHING POLS. Expect more tarpaulins/streamers to mushroom in every nook and cranny in Pangasinan and elsewhere in the country. Blame it on the election fever.

Each candidate must have his or her message to impart, all meant to take care of the welfare of the people (kuno). How sweet.

As I was traversing the national highway of Binmaley-Dagupan, something caught my attention. It’s about one re-electionist on whose streamer had this message “Maligayang Paglalakbay”.

Luckily, I bumped into that official whose name was printed on those streamers and he readily pleaded guilty about it. “Aliwa man (That was wrong),” he said, shaking his head but smiling. He said he wanted those streamers removed. Maybe he knew I shared the same sentiments of his concerned friends and political allies who advised him to do so.

I wouldn’t be surprised if tomorrow or soonest, I would also read “Take Care”, “Mwaaaah mwah, tsuuup tsuup from (name of candidate)” on tarpaulins and streamers of candidate.

Blame it on lack of advocacy or platform of government to offer.

But that’s the reality of politics in the Philippines, right?

We elect officials who do-nothing and know-nothing but only have the looks of Adonis and the brains of a genius in graft and corruption.— Tita Roces

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