Celeste Faces either Braganza, Perez, Aquino, or Espino in Alaminos

 

By Mortz C. Ortigoza 

ALAMINOS City, Pangasinan - Reelective Mayor Bryan Celeste is seen by a political kibitzer to be facing one of the four prospective challengers for the mayorship of this Hundred Islands’ city.

A regular source of this newspaper who knows the nuances of politics in Western Pangasinan cited that either Vice Mayor Jose Antonio Miguel Perez, former mayor Nani Braganza, former vice mayor Earl James Aquino, or former governor Amado Espino Jr. will jump off for the stump to unseat the youngest mayor.

“The situation in Alaminos is still fluid. If vice mayor (Perez) decides not to run, three names are coming up: Nani Braganza, Earl Aquino and possibly Amado Espino, Jr. We will only know on October 1 to 8, 2021 who will challenge the youngest Mayor in the Philippines,” the source, dubbed by this Writer as Deep Throat-II, stressed.

RUMORED MAYORALTY aspirants to challenge re-elective Alaminos City Mayor Bryan Celeste (top of left photo) on the May 2, 2022 election. Clockwise after Mayor Celeste are Former Alaminos City Mayor Hernani Braganza, former Pangasinan Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr, Alaminos City Vice Mayor  Jose Antonio Miguel Perez, and former Alaminos City  Vice Mayor Earl James Aquino.

Former Vice Mayor Aquino disclosed two months ago to supporters of Espino in a meeting of losing and mayorship bets in Anda that their patron will run in Alaminos City, according to the source. 

"But things can change," he said.

Political spectators however have been guessing until now in what situs the former governor and ex-congressman was registered as voter where he can run for elective office.

Mayor Celeste has been seen lately with Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat in the ocular inspection of the tourist sites of this city where she pledged to help reinvigorate them as money churning. Puyat also gave cash assistance to the beleaguered tourism workers scourge by the pandemic.

Meanwhile, the same source who hide for anonymity, said that re- elective Bolinao Mayor Alfonso Celeste is still unbeatable as his two opponents in the 2019 polls have shown lethargic performance in generating votes to catapult themselves into power.

 “Two perennial challenger will be running again. Former Dagupan City’s Land Transportation Office Chief Serafin Cacho and former  Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force Colonel Paul Tucay. Despite Espino's support, Cacho only got 4,068 votes while Tucay received a measly 1,068 while Mayor Alfon Celeste got more than 25,801 votes”

One of the candidates - as reason to his poor outings - has been accused by former supporters to mismanage the campaign fund given by his patron.

Another criticism hurled to the candidate was his weak party slate of Councilors that could not even win a village chief’s post in an election.

Deep Throat-II cited that the Celeste Camp that includes Vice Mayor Greg Celeste are confident that both Cacho and Tucay will lose again for the fourth and fifth times, respectively in the ingratiation games that involves money, charisma, and moxie in a town with 44, 575 votes (Comelec April 19, 2021) considered the bailiwick of the Celestes in winning them polls here and the congressional seat in the nine towns and one city’s district.

The family is adroitly steered by their older brother and kingpin former nine years Congressman Jesus “Boying” Celeste.    

Moreover, the source said that Anda Mayor Joganie Rarang will face former Mayor Aldrin Cerdan. Lyn Ray Celino who ran for mayor against Rarang and lost will gun either for the vice mayorship or membership of the Sangguniang Bayan (Legislature)

“These past months, Governor Pogi (Espino,III) has been visiting the town and allocating funds for asphalting its roads and doing outreaches (for the residents there),” he said.

Early this month, the spook told this newspaper that politicians in Western Pangasinan supportive of the Team Amado Espino, Jr. and Tim Orbos have been holding meeting.

“The last meeting was at the birthday party of Lyn Ray Celino, the PDP mayoralty candidate from Anda who lost to Mayor Rarang. All incumbent mayors loyal to Espino including those who lost in the 2019 election were there,” he said..

Former Congressman Boying Celeste told this writer that his younger brother former Alaminos City Mayor Art Celeste, the father of the incumbent hizzoner here, will be duking out with Orbos and not former vice mayor Aquino and Sual Mayor Liseldo “Dong” Calugay in the May 9, 2022 election.

Present Congressman Arnold "Noli" Celeste beat Orbos in the 2019 election for the House of Representatives.

The latter was the former General Manager of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and Undersecretary for Road Transport and Infrastructure of the Department of Transportation in the Duterte Administration.

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MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

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I am a twenty years seasoned Op-Ed Political Writer in various newspapers and Blogger exposing government corruptions, public officials's idiocy and hypocrisies, and analyzing local and international issues. I have a master’s degree in Public Administration and professional government eligibility. I taught for a decade Political Science and Economics in universities in Metro Manila and cities of Urdaneta, Pangasinan and Dagupan. Follow me on Twitter @totoMortz or email me at totomortz@yahoo.com.