With FVR behind him: BRAGANZA BELITTLES ESPINO'S GOLD

Braganza consults recently with Liberal Party's stalwarts in Binmaley

Two Probable Tandem: (From Left): Braganza and Agbayani

Media men "endorsed" Braganza's gubernatorial bid at Star Plaza in Dagupan City

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

 DAGUPAN CITY - The Liberal Party’s bet to challenge the reign of Pangasinan Governor Amado T. Espino in the 2013 poll is unfazed about the huge financial chest the latter will spend against him.
 Alaminos City Mayor Hernani Braganza cited the experiences of President Benigno Simeon Aquino III and his uncle former President Fidel V. Ramos who both ran and won the presidency. “The president now is the best example. Even former president FVR (Ramos' moniker) who was a minority president e kinakantiyawan Lakas Loob ang partido (na) Lakas Tao (he was mocked not as a member of Lakas Party but just a party of sheer grit instead of Lakas Tao (Humanity)), he became president. He was one of the better presidents of this country,” he stressed.
Espino was rumored to have spent hundreds of millions of pesos just to beat to pulp former governor Victor Agbayani who challenged him in the 2010 gubernatorial poll.
 LP stalwarts said that there is a 95 percent chances that Agbayani will run as the vice gubernatorial candidate of Braganza in the next year’s election.
 The party will meet on September 28 to finally decide the official tandem of the Liberal Party in the first and second highest elective posts in Pangasinan.
 Braganza even cited his experienced when he defeated former congressman Art Celeste, a financially formidable opponent, when they tangled for his mayoralty post in the 2010 poll.
A source who asked anonymity said that Espino even backed-up Celeste politically and financially just to defeat Braganza in that derby. “At hindi porke maraming pera ang kalaban mo, talo ka na. Hindi ako naniniwala diyan. But of course may advantage iyon (It doesn’t mean if your opponent has a lot of wherewithal, you loss the poll already. I don’t buy that),” the former congressman and former cabinet secretary emphatically explained to the media’s query.
Braganza joined a caucus recently with Liberal Party-Pangasinan leaders in nearby Binmaley town before he called a press conference at the Star Plaza Hotel here.
 The stalwarts of the Liberal Party who attended the meeting were Agbayani, former vice governor Oscar Lambino, the party spokesman, Board Member Ranjit Shahani, Sta. Barbara mayor Carlito Zaplan, Rosales Mayor Ricardo Revita, Bugallon Mayor Ric Orduna, Urbiztondo Mayor Ernesto Balolong, former 2nd District Board Member Sison, former 4th District Dado Gubatan, Dagupan City Councilor Alfie Fernandez, Lingayen Councilor Ma-an Versoza, and other political personalities in the humongous province.
 Meanwhile, Braganza said that his uncle former president Ramos asked him to tap those people he helped to buttress his gubernatorial victory. “Sabi ni FVR lahat ng natulungan natin sana ay matulungan ka (FVR told me that all that he have extended his helps in the past could help me, too)”.
The conversation with the former president ensued when he consulted with him in Manila about his plan to challenge Espino, an underling of FVR in the police force before, for the gubernatorial race in May 13, 2013.