Brian Lim Prepares for the 2016 Mayoralty - Ally

By MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

I thought Dagupan City Mayor Belen Fernandez will run unopposed in the 2016 election as her Vice Mayor Brian Lim seems to content himself at his present post. But a close media ally of the veem told me to watch Brian launches big activities like the job fair at the family owned Metro Plaza on March 27 to 28 that will crow his name.

Dagupan City's Vice Mayor Brian Lim

 I was quite surprised with this observation because I told the same pal months ago that the abandonment of Lim on most of his father’s media supporters, his scarcity with the hoi-polloi, and his “absenteeism” with his official functions will cost him his reelection to the likes of Councillors Mabelyn Fernandez and Alfie Fernandez who just lurking at the sidelines.
Another political kibitzer told me that Brian moving heaven and earth months ago in the country to chalk up the national presidency of the Jaycee was not a downside as he limits his presence in the city but a chutzpah for winning the mayoralty.
“Can you just imagine the mileage, the raves and waves, he gets in case the Jaycees’ members all over the country made an exodus to the city for a national convention?” he posed.
Brian’s vice mayoralty ticket, my source, told me would be Councillor Alfie Fernandez incase Mayor Fernandez would not enlist him as bet for the veem.
“Malamang si (Councilor) Maybelyn or bayaw (Councilor) Jigs Seen would be her vice mayoralty’s bet".
"Jigs Seen as vice mayor? Are Dagupenos ready for kin as tickets in the top two posts come 2016 polls?" I posed to my friend.
I told him that the Belen-Seen tandem seems to be next to impossible as getting my friend Jigs would  disenfranchised the Fernandezes in the Top 2 post. 
"The mayor would be courting a political disaster through a potent and bigger opposition in the coming election as the Fernandezes would surely defect to the camp of Lim," I said.

Dagupan City's Mayor Belen Fernandez

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Would last term Pangasinan Governor Amado T. Espino run for the vice governorship of the province or run roughshod with 3rd District Congresswoman Baby Arenas?
A political pundit told me that it seems the governor silently hones himself for the vice governorship because in the powwows of son and namesake Board Member Pogi Espino the latter did not bring re-elective Vice Governor Ferdie Calimlim.

He said the presence of the older Espino is indispensable if he wants to buttress the political stocks of his son.
My source cited the mistake of former Governor Victor Agbayani when he left his wife Jamie Eloise to contest the No.1 post of the province to then gubernatorial bet Amado T. Espino in the 2007 election.
“Victor sandbagged and concentrated in the 2nd congressional district in winning the hearts and minds of the people there against Liberal Party’s stalwart former CIBAC Rep. Maria Blanca Kim Lokim and the popular Joe Bengzon. His hands were full and he left Jamie with Frank, his gofer, and then Lady Friday Malou Elduayan (the present provincial tourism chief) to fend for themselves ingratiating with the masses in the boondocks and prairies of the huge province”.
In that election, Espino chalked up 36,087 more votes (where Espino got 427,364 versus Agbayani’s 391,277) to clench the governorship of Pangasinan scorching the Agbayanis in every platform, dais, pulpit, you name it where he spoke about the notorious absenteeism of Victor whose propensity to report at the Capitol once a week for nine years scandalized many Pangasinenses.
But in the 2010 and 2013 gubernatorial derbies, Espino overran, just  like what a lorry does to a wayward drunk pedestrian, then congressman Victor Agbayani and exiting Alaminos City Mayor Nani Braganza with more or less half-a-million votes.
(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)