Guicos Hit Espino on Cheating: Nope, We Used the Same Machine

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – Governor-elect Ramon “Monmon” Guico, III and his congressman-elect father and namesake turned the table against former Governor Amado T. Espino, III when the governor-elect told this newspaper that it was impossible that Espino’s governor and congressman sons were cheated because all of them use the same voting machine from the Commission on Election.

“Well ito tingnan nila. Di ba meron silang API (partylist) dumaan sa parehong makina? Nanalo sila eh! So ibig sabihin kung questionable iyong pagkapanalo namin questionable din ang pagkapanalo ng API. There is the same ballot there is the same machine that (has been) used, so di ba?” the new governor explained.

PROVINCIAL FAMILY. Pangasinan Governor -elect Ramon "Monmon" Guico, III (3rd from left) and his namesake 2nd District  Congressman -elect father Monching (4th from left) after they were proclaimed yesterday by the Commission on Election at the session hall of the provincial legislature in the capital town's Lingayen. Other in photos from left: New Binalonan Mayor Ramon Guico, IV, the governor's wife Maan Guico, and the Guico's matriarch Arlene.

5th District Representative-elect Ramon “Monching” Guico, Jr. downplayed the accusation of former Governor Espino, Jr. of massive cheating in a press conference he called yesterday at the Narciso Ramos Sports & Civic Center here because the Guicos were the challenger and the mammoth almost two hundred thousand differences of votes debunked the machination yarn of Espino.

“Alam mo ang hirap dito sa atin sa Pilipinas ano wala ng talo. May nanalo kung matalo may daya. Pero paano kami mandaraya e challenger kami! Makita mo naman ang agwat malaki, malaki ang lamang,” the exiting mayor of Binalonan explained.

The young Guico and former Representative Mark Cojuangco defeated in the May 9 election Pangasinan Governor Amado “Pogi” Espino, III and 2^nd District Congressman Jumel Anthony Espino, respectively.

Halalan 2022 of ABS-CBN unofficial data bared that Guico, III and Espino, III got 885,272 votes and 697, 465 votes, respectively, while Cojuangco and outgoing Rep. Espino garnered 150, 472 votes and 135, 888 votes respectively.

Guico and Cojuangco have 187, 801 and 14, 584, respectively, lead votes against their opponents.

In a press conference called by the Team Aguila of Guico, Cojuangco, and Bayambang Mayor Cezar T. Quiambao at the house of Congressman Cojuangco here last Wednesday here, 1st District Representative-elect Art Celeste denied vehemently any machination in the Precinct Count Optical Scanner (PCOS) machines.

He said if massive cheating had been perpetrated by their camp then his two brothers' former Congressman Jesus 'Boying" Celeste, exiting Congressman Noli Celeste, and Mangaldan Mayor Marlyn Lambino would not lose in the mayorship contests in towns of Sual, Agno, and Mangaldan, respectively.

The defeated candidates are members of Aguila.