Shahani: ‘Braganza, a general problem’

Gubernatorial bet Braganza

Estrange cousin Board Member Shahani

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan - Sixth district re-electionist Board Member Ranjit Shahani warned the local electorates Monday that his cousin, Alaminos City Mayor Hernani Braganza, may raise the “red flag” at the provincial capitol should he win the gubernatorial race in the forthcoming May elections. Speaking before capitol employees during the flag-raising ceremony that coincided with the 27th anniversary celebration of the people power-backed military uprising, now known as “EDSA Revolution,” on February 25, Shahani declared Braganza will be a “general problem.” “Although sometimes we have some differences of opinion with the Governor, I salute him as a police colonel who retired with the rank of general, who is now serving as the Governor General of Pangasinan and Commander-In-Chief of the Republic of Pangasinan,” the nephew of former Pres. Fidel Ramos said. “Hindi yung kamag-anak ko ang kandidato ko, kundi yung tunay na Ama ng lalawigan ng Pangasinan, si Gov. Espino,” Shahani proclaimed in his speech. He stressed that “if Filipinos are to prosper, good citizenship must count for more than ties of blood, kinship and private interest.” Noting that the governor has provided first-rate services to the people, Shahani said “Braganza is having illusion that he can snatch the Urduja House and hold the most powerful office in the province of Pangasinan .” “Masama if you’re on the wrong side of history and it’s always good to be on the right side of history because Gov. Espino has concretized the destiny of Pangasinan which is to be -- as it is now -- number one in the Philippines ,” he said. Recalling what he described as “the immortal ideology” of Ninoy Aquino who said “the Filipinos are worth dying for,” Shahani drew parallelism on the libertarian advocacy of “FVR (Fidel Valdez Ramos) and ATE (Amado T. Espino) who have said that the Filipino with more reason is worth living for, in a peaceful and democratic process.”, “The governor is not here now because he is in Manila together with the former president to attend the 27th anniversary of the People Power Revolution,” the outspoken Board Member said. Shahani recounted how the governor, then Metropolitan District Commander based in Angeles City , Pampanga, and “ally of the EDSA group of FVR, Enrile and RAM, Gringo Honasan and Cardinal Sin,” contained the throng of Marcos loyalists from the Ilocos heading to Manila to reinforce the military forces of then President Marcos during the last few days of the Marcos regime. “Filipinos must not forget the essence of EDSA 1 which the Philippines conserves as a model for other developing nations,” Shahani said, quoting his uncle, the former president. “Ang pagtatapos ng continued revolution sa EDSA ay hindi po yung pagtumba ng diktadurya at magkaroon ng kalayaan; kailangan po magkaroon ng progreso ang bawat Pilipino,” he asserted, adding that “ Sana maging kapatas-patas tayo so we’ll have a nation under God where all Filipinos and Pangasinenses are equal.” Although, a member of the Liberal party which is fielding Braganza as its gubernatorial bet in the coming local elections, Shahani affirmed that “Gov. Espino is the Best Governor in the history of Pangasinan.” “With the Espino administration till 2016, we’ll be closer to realizing the Golden Age of Pangasinan, and the final victory of EDSA 1 here in the heartland of Luzon,” Shahani said.