Then there were three Lims
By Leonardo Micua
THERE’S a big trouble brewing in the administration party, PDP Laban, with the sudden withdrawal of presidential aspirant Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa and his instant substitution by Senator Bong Go, who is running for president under another new political party, and the last-minute decision of President Rodrigo Duterte to run for senator.
The same can be said the Nacionalista Party in Dagupan under the grip of Mayor Brian Lim. If it’s not in trouble, why did it effect several changes in its line up only during the last day of withdrawal and substitution of candidates last November 15. This only showed they could not make up their minds and remained indecisive up to the last minute.
As expected, Irene Acosta-Lim, the mayor’s sibling, withdrew her bid for vice mayor but what was totally unexpected was her decision to run for councilor. This makes her the third in the family running for elective positions as their mother Celia is also seeking reelection as councilor.
Aren’t there others who can run other than members of the Lim family? Then, Alfie is also running for councilor and his son Carlos Alipio Serafin Fernandez became Brian’s running mate by substitution. Do these families simply want to have all the political power to themselves?
Remember that previously rumored to substitute Lim-Acosta was Joseph Lo of the Guanzon business group. What happened?
Four other NP candidates for councilor backed out of the race and were promptly substituted, but the two who substituted, I am sorry to tell, are virtually new faces in politics, and unknown in the city.
In sharp contrast, the Belen-BK team has been intact from the very first day it was formed. While Brian Lim and his group were doing the ceremonial lighting of Christmas lights in front of the city museum as well as the Quintos Bridge last November 15, Belen and VM Kua as well as their whole team happily did a similar ceremony on a glittering Christmas tree at the newly established Dagupan City River Groove owned by CSI. That team was oozing with a lot of confidence that they can wrest control of Dagupan city hall in 2022.
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The report that both Mayor Julio “Rammy” Parayno and Vice Mayor Jing Parayno of Urdaneta City have shifted their support from gubernatorial aspirant Ramon Guico III and his father, Ramon Guico Jr. who is running for congressman in the fifth district, to Governor Amado Espino III and vice gubernatorial aspirant Nestor Reyes, a current board member in the second district of Pangasinan, raised many eye brows.
The Paraynos broke away from the Guicos after confirming that the son and father are secretly supporting their arch-enemy former Mayor Amadeo “Bombom” Perez IV, a move considered by them (Paraynos) as a betrayal to their cause. This despite the fact that they are close kin and allies of former Board Member Clemente Arboleda Jr., also from Urdaneta Cty and one-time vice mayor of Alcala, who is running for congressman in the Fifth District under the wings of the PDP-Laban/API, with former Congressman and former Governor Amado Espino Jr. as chairman.
A meeting among the Paraynos, Espino and Reyes that took place recently in Urdaneta City in the presence of Arboleda and Fifth District Board Member Louise Jan Sison, sealed their friendship and political alliance.
The common denominator that binds them together is they are all dedicated public servants for the development of their province and city.
Urdaneta City is the heart and soul of the Fifth District. As the most populous area in the district, it is a vote-rich area (voting population is over 90,000) any provincial campaigner cannot ignore. It is therefore a big blow to the Guicos and to vice gubernatorial candidate Mark Lambino and a big gain to the Espino-Reyes tandem.
Under the Paraynos, Urdaneta City registered impressive and unprecedented economic growth even in this time of the pandemic. Urdaneta today is brimming with lots of pride being the biggest commercial/trading center as well as educational center of Eastern Pangasinan.
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The furor caused by the TV footage of ABS CBN showing a policeman with long firearm slung on his shoulder while helping a student in one of the classrooms of Longos Elementary School in Alaminos City, smacked of malice. It could have been avoided if only journalists had been more circumspect, truthful and conscious of their roles.
Okay, it was an innocent video footage, I supposed, but what was highlighted was the presence of a cop with a long firearm inside a classroom, which is definitely a no-no under the National Framework for Learners and Schools as Zones of Peace. That may have been a boner but the damage that this intrigue caused is probably beyond repair.
Reacting to reports from its local people, DepEd immediately slammed the presence of armed cops inside the school premises without bothering to check the reason for the cops’ presence. As it turned out, the cops were requested by the school.
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