Cojuangco - Guico Use Plane to Win Espinos’ Friendly Kapitans

THE RAIDING GAME JUST STARTED THIS EARLY 

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

After the parley between the camps of the Opposition called United Lights of Pangasinan (Ulopan) lead by Fifth District Congressman Ramon “Monmon” Guico and Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) and Presidential Adviser for Northern Luzon Secretary Raul Lambino and the Patriarch and Matriarch of the de Venecia family whose son Congressman Toff de Venecia is running for reelection, the two warring camps particularly the Lambinos - who became the brunt of the virulent attacks by trolls friendlier to the de Venecia - are already quiet.

“All quiet on the Western Front, er Central Pangasinan, eh?” to rephrase the World War -1's German soldiers quip “Im Westen nichts Neues, lit"  about their extreme physical and mental stress in that war.

MAJOR POLITICAL PLAYERS in Pangasinan. From top left photo and clockwise: Former Congressman Mark Cojuangco, Second District Rep. Jumel Espino, Fifth District Cong. Ramon “Monmon” Guico, and Pangasinan Governor Amado “Pogi” Espino, III. 

This probably due to the offer by the Ulupan that the de Venecias shift alliances to the Guico for governor versus incumbent Governor Amado “Pogi” Espino, III.

This for the Lambinos not to field anyone of them versus Toff and where his family saves hundreds of millions of pesos in an expensive campaign to a post that gives susmariosep a monthly salary of almost P300, 000 (Salary Grade 31).

Heat Shifted to the Second District

The political heat now has shifted to Pangasinan Second District under Rep. Jumel Espino.

According to my A-1 source’s Deep Throat -3 , a kin of a political family who wants to hide in anonymity, narrated the Camp of former Congressman Mark Cojuangco who wants the seats of Jumel in the May 9, 2022 election have been busy proselytizing the village chiefs of the eight towns’ District.

“Nag usap kami ng isang Kapitan ng Lingayen kamakailan sinabi niya na 15 of them Kapitans ay isinakay sa eroplano at dinala sa Binalonan Airport,” he told me in the vernacular probably to meet Cojuangco and Guico.

Allegedly, my source told me, his Kapitan friend – the Horse’s Mouth – and the other village chiefs have been given Ten Thousand Pesos (P10,000) each before they flew back to the Capital Town.

He exhorted me and other media men and even those interested to see the Passengers' Log book - I called “Manifest” when I was riding the C-130 as a kid – to see the names of those Kaps.

“Ito pa kausap ko rin iyong isa sa 37 Kapitans sa Mangatarem. Kamakailan lang former governorship candidate Art Celeste and Board Member Von Mark Mendoza nakipagkita sa kanila”.

Deep Throat-3 (Yes Virginia, my source is an addition to Deep Throats 1 and 2 ala Watergate’s Washington Post whistle blower source hahaha) told me that each of them allegedly received Fifteen Thousand Pesos (P15, 000) from the generous hand of the Opposition.

“Mataas ang bigayan sa Mangatarem kesa sa Lingayen. Siguro iyong sa Lingayen binawas ang gasolina ng eroplano doon,” I humored my spook hahaha!

He said that former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo – the Auntie of Monmon - called the town’s Mayor Ramil ”Balong” Ventinilla to tell him to support Guico’s candidacy for the No. 1 elective post in the 3,163, 190 populated (Census May 1, 2020) province.

Balong used to be a leader in Pangasinan when La Gloria de Excel-sis was President of the rambunctious country.

“Mag antay lang kayo at iyong bahay ni Mark Cojuangco sa binili niya sa Boulevard (Lingayen) will host political and media meetings” he cited.W

 With the Cojuangco-Guico Collaboration backed up by the other members of the Opposition maaga ang magiging Christmas ng mga Kapitan diyan sa Second District.

“Parang sa Fourth District, early last year naka payroll na ang mga Kapitans, Leaders, at Media Men takot ang isang pulitiko na baka maagaw ang mga ito ng kabilang partido na maraming ring datung,” I cited.

The seasoned Espinos – under the stewardship of Political Savvy Amado Espino, Jr.  who bludgeoned and defeated big names like Agbayanis and Cojuangcos- are no fluke either.

Their financial juggernaut could be at par or excel those of Guico and Cojuangco now that they are well-entrenched in the nuances of the political power of the mammoth once Citadel of Warrior Princess Urduja.

Siguro madaming mga Kapitans dito ang mag “I have two hands, the left and the right...,” I mimicked the nursery song.

                                                                 Pyrrhic Victory

The Espino Camp will surely have their answer to the early generosity of their nemesis that would find themselves – Espinos and Guico and Cojuangco - enmeshed in an expensive election whose result could be a Pyrrhic Victory or will make bankrupt any one of them.

What’s that?

Pyrrhic Victory is that inflicts such a devastating toll on the Victor that it is equivalent to defeat.

 “One could be victorious but the heavy toll negates a true sense of achievement,“ I once told a veteran Radio Broadcaster over bottles of Red Horse in our house..

It was about  King Pyrrhus of Epirus  whose army was tragically damaged in defeating the Romans at the Battles of Heraclea and the Asculum hundreds of years ago,” according to the pambalot ng tinapa I accidentally read, I told him.

Godzak and Godzilla! Who was that U.S President who quipped after he won his Pyrrhic Reelection? "Another victory like this and our money's gone!"

“Maniwala ka Mortz iyong lahat ng sinabi ko sa iyo from the Horse’s Mouth,” he exhorted me to believe him.

“Baka kay Atong mo lang kinuha itong narration mo,” I retorted.

“Hindi, hindi naman Horse’s Mouth si Atong – Stallion siya guapong high breed kung sa kabayo pa,” he added.

To those tricycle and jeepney drivers, jueteng cobradores, construction workers, and other blue collar workers who struggled to read this column, the idiom’s Horse Mouth means “from a reliable source or on the best authority”.

Read My Other Blog/Column:

Lagaring Hapon as Election Nears

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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.