JDV irons out glitches of Pangasinan's Leaders

JDV AND FOURTH DISTRICT LEADERS. Former five-time Speaker Jose de Venecia discuss with political leaders issues at the  4^th congressional district of Pangasinan. From Right: San Fabian Mayor Irene, Board Member Ming Rosario, Speaker de Venecia, and Mangaldan Mayor Hermie Romero. Extreme Left is Manaoag Mayor Napoleon. MORTZ ORTIGOZA

By Mortz C. Ortigoza QUEZON CITY – Former Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. met with political leaders of the 4th congressional district of Pangasinan and discuss plans for next year’s local elections. At the office of his wife Rep. Gina de Venecia , he met with Mayors Herminio Romero of Mangaldan, Irene Libunao of San Fabian, Robert de Vera of San Jacinto, and Napoleon Sales of Manaoag, and Board Member Agerico Jeremy Rosario. Another ally Dagupan City Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez did not attend because she was reportedly monitoring the plan of the new majority members of the Sanggunian Panglungsod (city council) to pass a supplemental budget. According to a source who asked for anonymity, the vice mayor did not want a repeat of what the SP members who are allied with Dagupan City Mayor Benjamin S. Lim who “sneak in legislation that puts her at a disadvantage.” The five-time speaker told Sales and Rosario to meet with him again at his residence in Dagupan City so they can discuss who of them and Manaoag Vice Mayor Kim Amador, would run in the next year’s poll. Sales, who is in his last term, is rumored to be grooming his wife Angie for the top post of the pilgrimage town. “I am going to commission a survey in Manaoag so we will know who among you is the most popular,” he told Sales and Rosario at the office of the association of women’s legislators of the Philippines in the Batasan Complex before the start of the State of the Nation Address of President Aquino III last July 23. The duo just nodded their head. Mayor de Vera told de Venecia that he has no problem in San Jacinto because former mayor Rodolfo Columbres will still be his vice mayor next year. Mayor Libunao told the former Speaker that she would still run for re-election while her husband Mojamito, the former mayor of San Fabian, will also gun for re-election as member of the Provincial Board. Mayor Romero in an earlier interview said that his option is open for the vice mayoralty or the provincial board. Romero told de Venecia that his town will see the present vice mayor Berex Abalos and former mayoralty bet Bona de Vera clashing next year’s for the political top post. A source who asked not to be mentioned told the group that former national police chief Arturo Lomibao eyes too, the mayoralty post of Mangaldan next year. “His emissary even asked Vice Mayor Abalos to be his vice mayor but Abalos declined and told him that he tops the survey for the mayoralty for the next year’s poll,” the source said. The same source said according to a mayor in Eastern Pangasinan, Dagupan City councilor Brian Lim is being groomed to run for the congressional post against de Venecia in the district that comprises a city and four towns. In a mass wedding in San Jacinto, Pangasinan where Rep. Gina stood as a sponsor, de Venecia’s brother-in-law former Senator Ernesto Maceda said the former Speaker will seek a congressional seat next year, while his spouse Gina can either run as governor, mayor (Dagupan City), or seek another congressional seat in another district. De Venecia said he has also been receiving proposals from different sectors for him to either run in the senate or the House of Representatives. “Some people are telling me to run for the senate, my constituents in the 4th District are also asking me to run for the House of Representatives –back to my old seat although Manay Gina is also doing a good job,” he said.