BY MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA
I bumped lately into San Jacinto Mayor Bert de Vera. I told him that media men identified with losing gubernatorial bet Hernani Braganza exploited to the hilt his and losing mayoralty candidate Berex Abalos of Mangaldan turned around.
They said that they have abandoned their fellow Nationalist People’s Coalition gubernatorial bet incumbent Governor Amado T. Espino when they attended the rally of Nani at the Stadia in Dagupan City.
De Vera said he went there because he was invited by former Speaker Jose de Venecia who told him to attend the rally of Team Pinoy.
“I thought I’ll be attending the rally of the senatorial bets”.
He said that when he was there he did not see any national candidates but a smiling and grateful Braganza and vice gubernatorial candidate Art Lomibao who probably thought they were late deserters.
“It was an invitation I could not decline because my congresswoman (Gina de Venecia, 4th District, Pangasinan) invited me there”. Bert said Espino just like de Venecia are his allies.
“They contributed three million pesos each for the renovation of our municipal hall while we have our eight million pesos counterpart from the local coffer”.
Former five –time Speaker de Venecia attacked Espino as a no do-gooder governor in that Stadia rally. According to my source in the Fourth District, San Fabian and Manaoag mayors Irene Libunao and Nap Sales did not attend the rally at the Stadia lest their presence be misconstrued by Espino.
The source said one of the factors that Abalos loses the mayoral contest from challenger Bona de Vera , a Liberal Party, Governor Espino aided Bona to trounce- out Abalos because of his infidelity to the party. De Vera’s husband is the relative of Espino.
Sources said that even in the campaign sorties of de Vera the hubby was zealously clad on a t-shirt with an Espino-Vice Governor Ferdie Calimlim boldly printed on it.
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Was this a tall tale?
A close associate of outgoing Dagupan City Mayor Benjie S. Lim told me recently that if Lim has not been struck by a stroke on the eve before the May 13, 2013 poll he would be dispensing the content of the ten suit cases (maleta) full of P1 thousand bill to voters around the 31 villages strong city.
“Bawat maleta naglalaman ng P20 million (or P200 million in all ten suit cases),” he said.
He cited that the day before the poll Lim has been seen carrying a calculator where he computed and recomputed how much sum would be given to each of the voters.
“He told me that this election (May 13) would be the most expensive for him” .
Around 10 pm of May 12, Lim leaders have been distributing monies all over the villages in the city.
“Pag pointer (who help identified voters) P1000.00, pag may I.D P500.00, iyong walang I.D tawag namin doon “special” tag P300.00,” a voter in Barangay Tapuac said.
A voter and a media man in Barangay Bonuan Gueset told me that around 10 pm of May 12, Lim supporters have been given each of the voters in his compound P1000.00 bill.
The associate said those bundles of monies in the case would be part of the second wave that should commence at 4 am of May 13.
“ Tag dalawang libo ang planong bigayan. Pang-kontra ni mayor sa pagbili ng mga tao ng kalaban (mayoral bet Belen Fernandez).
He said he could not forget how financially challenging was the May 13 election. He said the leaders of Fernandez have been buying votes all over the city unabated by the police the whole day before the poll. “Ako pinupuntahan ako ng mga SWAT (Special Weapon Action Team) at tinatanong ako kung meron akong pakurong (vote buying) sa bahay ko kasi maraming ta-o”.
He said had Lim not suffered a stroke the day before the election, Fernandez could not win the poll as Lim was only the one in the family who could decide how to dispose the ten big suit cases full of monies.
You can read my selected columns at http://mortzortigoza.blogspot.com and articles at Pangasinan News Aro. You can send comments too at totomortz@yahoo.com).
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