Abono Unfazed on Rampages of Espino’s Backed API

 

WAR OF PARTYLISTS IN P’SINAN

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

ROSALES, Pangasinan -  The chair of the seasoned Pangasinan’s homegrown Abono PartyList (AP) is not threatened by the proliferation of the tarpaulins of Abante Pangasinan Ilokano (API) Party List with the prominent face of former governor Amado T. Espino, Jr. drawing supporters in the many towns and cities of Pangasinan.

Rosendo So, chairman too of the nationally renowned Samahang Industriya ng Magsasaka (SINAG), was unperturbed because AP has clearer direction and vigorous on its advocacy like the fights against government neglect and incompetence compared to other party lists.

“Hindi naman. Mostly iyong sinusulong natin at least may direction. At kung makita mo tayo lang ang very vocal na nagsasalita about ng hindi tumulong ang gobyerno (No we are not threatened. Most of what we advocated have directions. If you see we are the most vocal about government’s negligence),” the farmers advocate So told Northern Watch Newspaper.

Despite the visibility of Espino, a former congressman, in the posters, he is not a nominee of API because of the prohibition of the Party-List System Act (Republic Act 7941).

It says “The list shall not include any candidate for any elective office or person who has lost his bid for an elective office in the immediately preceding election” (Section 8 paragraph 2). 

He lost his 2019 congressional reelection in the Fifth District with a slim votes against Binalonan outgoing mayor Ramon “Monmon” Guico, III. That poll was seen as an upset in Pangasinan’s politics because of the seeming invincibility of the former Police Colonel and alumnus of the Philippine Military Academy in winning elections after he became a Second District Congressman in 2007.

This writer got the five nominees of API in case it wins one to three seats in the House of Representatives in the May 9, 2022 election.

The nominees from the first to the fifth are Michael M. Morden, Maricel B. Gotuc, Antonio P. Perez, Glaiza Mae M. Onia, and Enrico Y. Siahon.

Morden used to be a protégée of So when the AP was a nascent party upon its victory in the 2007 election and dominating the polls since then to the present in the forty-four towns and four cities’ Pangasinan.

Abono’s nominees from first to fourth are former Congressman Robert Raymund “Eskimo” Estrella, Ronald Alan So, Lenny Torres, and Oftociano "Anong" Manalo.

The disqualification of Espino to be a nominee based on the statute create speculations among political kibitzers that he can substitute former Board Member Clemente “Nino” Arboleda against Ramon “Monching” Guico, Jr. for the congressional diadem of the Fifth District.

Espino and So were political allies before when the former competed with Jamie Agbayani and former Pangasinan Second District Congressman Victor Agbayani in the 2007 and 2010 governorship races, respectively, in the mammoth province. Espino defeated the spouses whose father Aguedo reigned as governor for decades of the Northern Luzon’s province.

APL Chair So in those years were preoccupied strategizing in making the party prominent in Pangasinan and winning its first two seats in Congress in the 2010, 2013, and 2016 national electiona.

The fallout between the two allies started when then Governor Espino in the middle of 2000s increased the real property taxes of the local government unit that upset So because it could affect the economic welfare of his constituents the farmers.

The relationship worsen when So and former Pangasinan Fifth District Rep. Mark Cojuangco  - another Espino’s supporter – joined forces for Cojuangco’s bid for the governorship in 2016 against Espino’s son and namesake the present governor.

So said the loss of the second nominee of APL in Congress through Rep. Vini Nola A. Ortega in the 2019 election was due to the poor performance of the Ortegas in reaching and winning the hearts and minds of the voters in La Union Province.

In the 2016 election the political family’s Ortegas delivered 150, 000 votes to the party in that province but in the 2019 election they chalked up a lethargic 70,000 votes that cost them a congressional seat.

Abono Partylist Founder and Chairman Rosendo So.

“It was due to the death threats on their family they were not able to go public and campaigned effectively,” the Abono chairman said.

The electoral performances of AP can be seen on the 2.12% voters share in the total voters of the party lists in the 2007 election where it got one representative in Congress, 2.58%, 2.80%, and 2.26% voters shares in the 2010, 2013, and 2016 polls, respectively, where it got two congressmen in each of these elections, and the 1.36% share in the 2019 poll where it settled for a lone representative through Conrad Estrella, III – the older brother of Robert Raymund.

    The parties, organizations, and coalitions receiving at least two percent (2%) of the total votes cast for the party-list system shall be entitled to one seat each:  provided, that those garnering more than two percent (2%) of the votes shall be entitled to additional seats in proportion to their total number of votes: provided, finally, that each party, organization, or coalition shall be entitled to not more than three (3) seats (Section 11 paragraph 5, R.A 7941).

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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.