LP CANDIDATE: Supporting Espino, a political hara-kiri

Cry- Your- Heart- Out- Ranjit! Former President Fidel
V. Ramos (Extreme Left) poses with nephew Gu-bernatorial bet Hernani
Braganza and Mayoralty wannabe Lean Braganza at therecent Ramos
-Agsalud-Braganza reunion inAsingan, Pangasinan

"Abandoning my candidate for governor Hernani Braganza in favor of re-electionist Gov. Amado T. Espino is a political suicide on my part".
 This was the straightforward reaction of Liberal Party mayoral candidate Benny Robeñol of Asingan in a recent press release circulated by the camp of Espino alleging that he (Robeñol) along with two other mayoralty candidates in Asingan are now supporting Espino’s reelection bid.
 He said any candidate in his right mind knows the sure negative political repercussions of shifting loyalties especially in the middle of the campaign. “I’m a principled person. I remain supportive of Hernani Braganza and I will continue to campaign for him for governor and Arturo Lomibao for vice governor,” Robeñol said. He explained that the photo in which he and the two other LP candidates and Gov. Espino were seen posing was intended to show that the candidates in Asingan are one for clean, honest and peaceful elections, “not for selfish political reasons.”
“I have no idea that they will use that picture as a propaganda material against Braganza and even to myself,” he said.
A front runner for the mayorship, Robeñol said the photo was taken during a “dinner party, not political party” of his close friend Joe Delmendo, who is a mutual friend of the two other mayoral candidates and Governor Espino.
 Mayor Braganza, in an interview, said “the latest campaign trick of the Espino camp has again backfired on his face.” “Earlier, they again made a fool of themselves after 17 of my LP candidates for mayor charged them of lying after the Espino camp came up with a propaganda that my candidates have already abandoned me,” Braganza said.
 Braganza said the cheap propaganda gimmick of the Espino camp is meant to restrain the “bandwagon effect” of last Sunday’s endorsement of former President Fidel V. Ramos to his candidacy.
 The former President made the declaration of support to Braganza during a reunion of more than 1,000 members of the Braganza, Agsalud and Ramos clan at the MBJ Countryside Resort in Baro village, Asingan. “If Nani Braganza will be elected governor of Pangasinan, I am sure that foreign and domestic investors will take a second look at our province and pour in the much-needed investments to jumpstart the local economy,” Mr. Ramos said.
The former President said Braganza’s experience in transforming Alaminos City into a world-class urban center would help Pangasinan obtain an “A-rating” in economy, tourism, agriculture, infrastructure, welfare of overseas Filipino workers (OFW), education and investment.
 President Benigno Simeon Aquino also endorsed the candidacy of Braganza saying if Pangasinenses wanted to have an honest government and see their province progress they should vote for Braganza.