Agbayani Will Batter Libunao In The Mayorship Race

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

Re-elective San Fabian, Pangasinan Mayor Constante “Danny” Agbayani will beat to a pulp in the next year’s election come backing former mayor Mojamito Libunao, a supporter of the incumbent hizzoner (abbreviation of HisHonortheMayor) told me.

“The Libunaos are politically washed out, they are no longer popular with the people here,” the source, who asked for anonymity, told me by referring to Libunao, a lawyer, and his wife Irene where the spouses used to switch the mayoralty position to govern the town for almost two decades

The Libunaos had traumatic experienced with the down-to-earth Agbayani when the latter buried in a landslide votes in the 2013 and 2016 elections then Mayor Irene and come backing mayorship bet Mojamito.

Agbayani defeated former mayor Mojamito, a U.P Law classmate of Super Heavyweight Senator Franklin Drilon, in the May 2016 election where Libunao ate the dust with 12,588 votes versus Danny’s 24,383 votes.

REMATCH - San Fabian Mayor Danny Agbayani (Left) and former mayor Jamming Libunao.

Son of a gun that’s 66% versus 34%! 

How could Jamming justify to all and sundry that he could defeat  next year the least educated but pro hoi polloi, er, masa Danny, who loves to speak in the vernacular “Please no English, as we are all Filipinos” as my radio tandem Harold Barcelona teased me every time Harold and I exited from the office of the good demeanor mayor.

 Jaimie B. Verona, Chairman of Barangay Rabon of the town told this paper in 2013 that Libunao was not on the level of mayoral elect Constante Agbayani in winning the minds and souls of the people here. 
“Maraming bagay iyan. Si Dan Agbayani matulungin at alam niya lahat ng problema ng buong San Fabian,” he stressed.

“Aside for Irene non-being an original resident of the town,” Verona continued, “Libunao did not know the real problems of the people in every village”.

“Sa kabila wala naman kaming nakikita na mga proyekto dito sa bayan ng San Fabian,“ Varona, a battle scarred and retired Marine whom I met when I worked at the PMA, disclosed.

The supporter explained that the political and economic equation in 2013 and 2016 elections were far different to the present stocks of Agbayani – a former long reigning President of the League of Barangays.

 “He significantly transformed from a shoe-string budgeted ABC President to a big time contractor,” he cited.  

He is a beneficiary of hundreds of millions of pesos of infrastructure projects from 5^th Congressional District Representative Amado T. Espino, Jr. and his son and namesake Pangasinan Governor Amado III.

The old Espino is Agbayani’s patron and mentor.

He cited how cash strapped was Agbayani in the 2013 poll where former congressional candidate Dr. Tessie de Venecia went to his succor.

“Dr. Tessie had beef to grind against the Libunaos,  loaned her  house and lot to help shore up Agbayani’s campaign chest because de Venecia could not stomach anymore how the spouses reigned the town,” the source told this writer.

“Pati mga sisters ko abroad nag ambag ambag para makatulong sa kampanya ko,” Agbayani told me before.

The supporter cited that even with a superior wherewithal of the Libunao since one of them was the incumbent mayor, the people still gravitated to Agbayani in 2013 where they voted him overwhelmingly.

“I won in a landslide in that election. I won in all the barangays except one where I lost almost two dozens of votes,” Agbayani stressed.

The then candidate proudly said that even voters milled around him whenever he went to the campaign trails in their villages.

“They told him not to worry about the superiority of funds of the Libunaos since they despised the family,” the supporter said.

After the election, the supporter cited, Agbayani had still two million pesos left that he bought a sports utility vehicle he would be using as a public official.

“Mabuti ng bumili ng sasakyan bago mag umpisang umupo para iwas intriga na binulbulsa ko ang pera ng bayan,” he told media men.

Early this year, Agbayani told this writer that he was egged by Congressman Espino to challenge reelective 4^th District Representative Christopher “Toff” de Venecia but he begged off the seasoned solon because he considered both of them as benefactors.

“Parang mga magulang ko na kayo ni Speaker at ni Manay Gina, sir,” he told Espino that he could not challenge Christopher de Venecia.

A mayor in the Fourth District confirmed lately to this paper that the Espinos (PDP-Laban) and the De Venecias (Lakas-CMD) are no longer political nemesis since they are allied now against the provincial tandem of governorship and vice governorship candidates Arthur Celeste and Mark Lambino, respectively, of the Nationalista Party and Nationalist People's Coalition.

  
(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)