Baby Arenas to rivals: I’ll win

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

SAN CARLOS CITY – A socialite lady solon said she would win the May 2016 congressional election despite being challenged by two former congressmen.

FOUNDATION. The local government unit of San Carlos City, Pangasinan represented by Mayor Julier C.Resuello, Vice Mayor Joseres C. Resuello (1^st and 3^rd from left) and members of the Sangguniang Panglungsod (city council) posterity posed with Rep. Rosemarie Arenas at the stage of the Arenas-Resuello Sports Complex at the eve of the 51^st City Foundation Anniversary Celebration last January 1, 2016. Arenas,holding a bouquet of flowers, was the guest of honor. MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

“I know I am the winner,” quipped by reelectionist Representative Rosemarie “Baby” Arenas of the 3rd District of Pangasinan.
 Arenas, a member of the administration's Liberal Party, welcomes the entry of former congressmen Generoso Tulugan and Eric Acuna in the race because it is part of democracy.

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“I know I am the winner with your help.  Democracy allowed that. Everybody can participate. That is very healthy, maganda iyon na malaman ng tao kung sino talaga ang mahal ng tao. Saka kung ano ang nagawa iyon ang importante”.Acuna served the four towns and a city’s district for two terms in the House of Representatives while Tulagan defeated the former when he was seeking his third try for his last term's reelecton in 1992. Tulagan served the 3rd Congressional District for three terms.
After Tulagan stepped down at the end of his term, Arenas’ daughter Maria Rachel ran for the post against this vote-rich city’s residents lawyer Gallant Soriano, a former Deputy Commissioner Bureau of Custom and Tulagan’s son and namesake Generoso Jr.

Former Pangasinan Congressman Gener Tulagan

In the middle of the campaign period of the 2007 election, this former City Mayor Julian Resuello was gunned down in a fiesta celebration at the public gym here and died later at a Manila hospital.
The murder changed the sentiments of the voters, who rooted earlier for Soriano and Tulagan, who gave their symphaty votes to Arenas, an ally of Resuello and who was with the former mayor and actor Dingdong Dantes during the incident.

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The 2007 election was closely contested by the trio where Arenas got 617 more votes to Tulagan who was breathing at the back of her neck.
Despite some of the perpetrators in that killing arrested and charged with murder in court, until now the brain behind that dastardly act has not been identified.

Rachel served the district for two terms before her mother substituted her in the 2013 election.

Acuna and the older Arenas are from Malasiqui town composed of 73 barangays while Tulagan is from San Carlos City which has 86 villages.

Rep. Rosemarie Arenas was here last Friday night to grace this city’s 51st City Foundation Anniversary. She was accompanied by Mayor Julier Resuello and former 5th District Congressman Mark Cojuangco.