By Mortz C. Ortigoza
There were ruffled feathers to some supporters and leaders of Pangasinan Fourth District Congressman Toff de Venecia and his family when the province’s vice governor Mark Lambino told media men invited to his recent birthday bash held in a Japanese Restaurant in Mangaldan that there should certainly be a “black and white” in the congressional race in the one city four towns’ district.
When I asked yesterday afternoon radio commentator Ruel Camba - while we sipped our brewed coffee with politicians’ PR Man Professor Arnel Montemayor in one of the cozy places in the city - the veracity of the info I got earlier from the camp of the De Venecia, he said he was there in the party.
Black and white mean the Lambinos will have someone to challenge the sitting solon in the district and there will be loser and winner there.
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PERSONALITIES in a fluid political situation in the mammoth Pangasinan Province. Above photo and clockwise: Pangasinan Vice Governor Mark Lambino, Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) and Presidential Adviser for Northern Luzon Secretary Lambino Raul Lambino, and Pangasinan Fourth District Rep. Christopher “Toff” de Venecia.
“I
even asked Mark if he is open to a meeting with Manay Gina (de
Venecia mother of the lawmaker),
he told us that he is open to anything but the decision should be
subject to the approval of the group,”
Ruel told me.
The group is the Opposition composed of his father Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) and Presidential Adviser for Northern Luzon Secretary Raul Lambino, Fifth District Representative Mon-Mon Guico, Bayambang Billionaire Mayor Cezar Quiambao, former Congressman and Billionaire Mark Cojuangco, and former First District Representative Art Celeste against the well - oiled political machinery of the Espino family who are entrenched in the highest elective offices in Governor Amado “Pogi” Espino, III and his younger brother Second District Representative Jumel Espino and with the support of most of their allies in the 44 towns and 3 cities’ mayors that include their mother Priscilla “Mely” I. Espino who is the chief executive of Bugallon town.
The pronouncement of the Vice Governor that one of the De Venecias’ supporter told me he and colleagues felt uneasy could be probably part of the strategy one can get in the proposed parley to the other camp to succumb to what the first party wants.
The signal could be likened to this one: You would not capitulate then we commission somebody from our family to run and you spend tens if not hundreds of millions of pesos in the hustings.
I told more than a week ago in a blog/column titled: Lambino Cancels Cong. Bid, Asks De Venecia to Support Guico for Guv that Lambino, Fifth District Congressman Guico, his father and name sake Binalonan Mayor Monching, Bayambang Mayor Quimbao, former Alaminos Mayor Art Celeste, Former Congressman Cojuangco and the colloquies they agreed:
1) The opposition against the political juggernaut of former Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr, his governor son and namesake, his congressman’s son Jumel, and their allies agreed to field Congressman Guico for the governorship race next year against Governor Pogi Espino.
2) Lambino told the group that they will forego their moist eye to challenge Rep. Christopher “Toff’ de Venecia.
I surmised that the Lambinos in the supposed negotiation with the De Venecia (I heard there was already a feeler not from the Quiambao-Celeste Group) have been looking in either of one of the following factors: That in case Mark’s wife lawyer Melanie will be pitted with almost six years solon Toff the former will have no China man’s chance to win the national plum’s post; the Lambinos were just magnanimous to buttress Guico’s chance in beating Pogi Espino for the governorship; or the higher interest of Raul Lambino for the governorship.
“He has a moist eye for the governorship. Raul needs the De Venecias support in the district to win the office,” he told me on the phone yesterday.
Even I know that Mon-Mon Guico prefers to be a re-elective Congressman in his district and was obliged only to tussle with Pogi to prevent the financial logistics of the Espino flooding his district and those of the districts Cojuangco and Celeste will run, I argued that Raul will not abandon his powerful post in Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) since Sara Duterte, as based on polls, has been leading a mile against Bongbong Marcos and Grace Poe. Unless he senses Sara doesn’t like him and will yank him after winning the presidency and put somebody for the fiduciary’s post.
“That CEZA and Presidential Adviser for Northern Luzon’s posts are too powerful and the governorship is nothing,” I argued.
“The governorship is his crowning glory,’ my spook retorted on the other end of the line.
Since everything is FLUID and everybody can SPECULATE who will run to what post in the gargantuan province, the spy told me the following:
1) Former Governor Amado Espino, Jr dukes out with Mark Cojuangco (this can happen if Spines registered there before the May 9, 2021 deadline as resident and voter - Author); 2) Jumel tandems with Pogi for the governorship; 3) The opposition will convince either exiting Binmaley Mayor Sam Rosario or San Carlos City Mayor Ayoy Resuello to be the vice guv’s partner of Raul L. because the city is vote rich with 119, 210 voters (Comelec April 19, 2021 data) while Board Member VC Ventanilla run for the mayorship of the huge 86 villages’ central Pangasinan city (My analysis however: The Resuellos will not allow it. San Carlos too big, powerful, and indispensable the family will insist on former Mayor Bogs Resuello to run there for the hizzoner’s post. Vice governorship is a ho-hum post that lacks the glitz and trappings of power of a governor and even a mayor of a city. He is a spare tire that prays when will be the governor become incapacitated or dead which is one in a ten million chances to happen; 3) Second District Board Member Von Mark Mendoza – the Man Friday of Billionaire Cojuangco in the Second District – challenges the mayorship of Lingayen from incumbent Mayor Leopoldo Bataoil.
Oh by the way, Ruel – who was the former Joseph Goebbels of the provincial government - said to me that the Vice Governor told the reporters allied with their family in that bash that he was invited by former Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr. for a tête-à-tête that ensued a week ago in one of the edifices of the provincial government in Lingayen.
READ MY BLOG/COLUMN
LINGAYEN VS. LEYTE: Tourism War Looms on MacArthur Park
(You can read my selected columns at http://mortzortigoza.blogspot.com and articles at Pangasinan News Aro. You can send comments too at totomortzmarcelo@gmail.com)
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