Arenas fuzzy if she and sibling run for mayor

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

Pangasinan 's Rep. Rosemarie "Baby" Arenas (2nd from Left), daughter and former
congresswoman Rachel, and some governmental bigwigs.

SAN CARLOS CITY – Former Pangasinan congresswoman Rachel Arenas gives a blur answer to a query from Northern Watch if she and her brother have moist eye for the mayoralty post of Calasiao and Malasiqui towns in the province come 2016 polls.

In the eve of the Barangay  (village) Nights recently held here where she was a guest of honor she was equivocal to the question if she will run in the mayoralty contest in Calasiao.

“I am busy as governor of Red Cross, I am helping my mother (Representative Rosemarie “Baby” Arenas) in her work as congresswoman of the (3^rd ) district.

Arenas was the predecessor of her mother in a city and five towns’ district.

She deviated to answer the question when asked if her brother Robert “Bing” Jimenez Arenas would be running too for the 73 - village strong Malasiqui.

“He is busy helping the constituents of my mother in Malasiqui. He and my mother have a lot of projects to supervise for the people there”.

The source, who asked anonymity, said incase the speculations happen that he runs for the mayoralty of Malasiqui, he would be clashing with Eric Brian Domantay, the incumbent village chief of Barangay Poblacion, as his father Armando would be graduating in 2016 after he serves the town for nine successive years.

He expounded that in case the rumors materialize the former solon throwing her hat in the burgeoning town of Calasiao, she would be colliding with either incumbent Mayor Mark Roy Macanlalay or his father Vice Mayor Roy incase the younger Macanlalay runs as the vice governor of former Pangasinan 5^th District Congressman Mark Cojuangco who declared in February 10 his intention to run for the gubernatorial seat of Pangasinan in 2016.

Mayor Macanlalay was offered, according to a source, by Cojuangco as running mate when the former solon graced the farmers day of the town in May 6.

The same source said that Ramon “Citoy” Arenas, Jr., another brother of Arenas who lost his congressional bid in Iloilo, is being groomed to run too for the mayoralty post of Sta. Barbara.

“Incase that happened it would be a battle royal as veteran politician (Sta. Barbara) Mayor Lito Zaplan would give the Arenases a good fight”.

He added that the plan of the Arenases to snare the three towns in the district would not happen incase somebody big challenge their hegemony in the congressional battle.

The source said that it is either Dangerous Drug Board Secretary Antonio ”Bebot” Villar or former Congressman Generoso Tulugan that will challenge either Representative Arenas or Rachel in the next congressional derby.
A respected political kibitzer here said that the name of exiting Pangasinan Governor Amado T. Espino Jr is being floated too to challenge the Arenases in the congressional derby. Espino is rumored to have a moist eye to challenge the dominion of former Speaker Jose de Venecia and wife Rep. Gina in the 4th Congressional District of Pangasinan.
"Mas madaling talunin sila Arenas kaysa kena de Venecias sa congressional election," the kibitzer quipped.

The young Arenas pooh-poohed the rumors that her mother would throw her hat for the gubernatorial race in a probable three-cornered fight against Liga ng mga Barangays sa Pilipinas -Pangasinan Chapter president and Board Member Amado T. Espino III, the son and namesake of exiting Governor Espino, and Cojuangco.

“No, she is already a congresswoman”.