Did Pro-Espinos’ Mayors Defect to Gov. Guico?

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

 Several days ago, reporter Atong Remogat sent me in my e-mail two news articles he bylined to be published in Northern Watch Newspaper (NWN). They were titled VM Gayo Bats more VMLP Advocacies and Ex-Guv Espino, P’nan Dads Support Perez for PCL Election.

On the Pangasinan Councilor’s League and its prexy candidate’s San Manuel Councilor Honeyboy Perez, one of its excerpts said:

FLIRTING WITH THE ENEMY. Pro-former Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr. mayors and allies seen today at a photo op with Pangasinan Governor Ramon "Mon-Mon" Guico, III and Congressmen Art Celeste, Mark Cojuangco, and Monching Guico in the provincial government owned Capitol Resort Hotel in Lingayen, Pangasinan. The gathering of 42 of the 47 local government units' chief executives in Pangasinan was about their support for the candidacy of  Alaminos City Councilor Arthur “Junjun” Celeste, Jr for the presidency of the Philippine Councilors League (PCL) - Pangasinan Chapter. Electoral victory of the son of 1st District Cong. Art Celeste means additional ex-officio Board Member among the four regular elected minority lawmakers of Guico in the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.

“Yet the Perez camp have leaned on the support of former Pangasinan Governor and incumbent Abante Pangasinan-Ilocano Partylist Chairman Amado T. Espino, Jr. It was learned that Espino has already endorsed Antonio “Honeyboy” Perez during the meeting of all the allies of the former congressman Espino in a gathering recently.   Present during the meeting were the majority of the re-elected and newly elected mayors, vice mayors and the district’s board members.  Political pundits are seeing that the contest in the councilors' league will be competitive between the two camps since both have the power, influence, and money”.

***

Yesterday while inside the car of NWN Columnist Arnel Montemayor with nom de plume’s Munting Isko, I told him and former Provincial Information Office Chief Ruel Camba – the present Editor of Capitol Post  - that the camp of Pangasinan Governor Monmon Guico will be enmeshed in ingratiating by winning the hearts and minds of the councilors of the forty four towns and three cities and see their favored ex-officio Board Member catapulted to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (provincial legislative body) – adding to their minority four regular elected BM.  

Arnel whom I called “Prof” told me too about Atong’s grief on the chances of his patron’s Laoac Vice Mayor and Lawyer Nelson V. Gayo  versus neophyte Mangaldan Vice Mayor  and Surgeon Mark Stephen Mejia to clinch the presidency of the Vice Mayors' League Pangasinan (VMLP). He said Atong deplored the “interference” of the Capitol in favor of Mejia.

I was amused that an innocuous less powerful position of a vice mayor can be shaken by the powers that be.

The VML has no kamandag in the power play between Guico and the Espinos unlike those honchos in the mayors' league who command warm bodies cum large voters.

Damn, being a Veem is titular post and a spare tire where its occupant only waits for a permanent vacancy or inability to occur in the office of the Mayor.

The vice mayors are not real power – just like the vice governor that has no “kingdom” like the mayor -  as seen recently how the lawmakers of the Sangguniang Panglungsod (legislative body) of Cagayan de Oro City rebuffed and humiliated before the social media and national television's Vice Mayor Jocelyn Rodriguez because of her ignorance in the parliamentary rules.

“Madam chair, you are not the city council; we are the city council – we can overrule you! You have to rule on the point of order; you cannot just ignore that! You are not the vice mayor here; you are the presiding officer here! The presiding officer is different from the vice mayor – remember that! You are not the queen here!” seasoned Councilor Edgar Cabanla hollered to the Veem.

This after VM Rodriguez - sister of Cagayan de Oro Cong. Rufus Rodriguez - snarled to Councilor Roger Abaday who stood to raise a point of order to “Sit down. You are not recognized. Sit down!”.

Salamabit! I thought those that are ordered to "sit down" are those trained foreign pet dogs some of us are taking care of, hahaha! 

A Vice Mayor or a Vice Governor is a nobody to a vocal, intelligent, and intrepid councilor or board member of the opposition.

 Did the allies of former Governors Amado T. Espino, Jr. and his son and namesake defect to the fold of Pangasinan Governor Guico?

Just this afternoon Columnist Montemayor sent a video in my Messenger with several dozens of mostly male individuals posing for photo op with Guico, Congressmen Art Celeste, Mark Cojuangco, and Monching Guico, and Vice Governor Mark Lambino at the provincial government owned Capitol Resort Hotel.

I was jolted on my seat when I saw pro Espinos’ Hizzoners Dong Calugay of Sual, Lito Zaplan of Sta. Barbara, J.R Resuello of Basista, Ernesto Acain of Labrador, Ming Rosario of Manaoag, and many more as seen on the photos I posted to complement this opinion article.

 The Prof told me the 39 Mayors pledged their support to the candidacy for the PCL of Congressman Celeste’s scion Alaminos City Councilor Arthur “Junjun” Celeste, Jr.

 Does the present gathering signal that the loyalists of the Espinos abandoned them?

What about the majority members of the provincial board who are pro-Espinos? Have the powers that be succeeded too in “proselytizing” them to defect to their side?

In the last May 9 election, only four of the lawmakers of Guico won while eight of the BMs ticket of then Governor Pogi Espino became victorious.

With the Federation Presidents of the Barangays and Samahang Kabataan (SK) still loyal to the Espinos that will be ten BMs that can wreck havoc to the programs of Governor Guico that need their imprimatur in the August body in the next three years.

These ten BMs can make or unmake the Guv.

PANGASINAN’S LUMINARIES pose for prosperity for the Pangasinan Councilor’s League (PCL) incoming election. From (L-R). Re-elected 6^th District Board Member Salvador “Dong” Perez, Former San Manuel Mayor, San Manuel Vice Mayor Salvador M. Perez, Former Pangasinan Governor, 5^th District and now Abante Pangasinan-Ilocano Partylist Chairman Amado T. Espino, Jr., Councilor Honeyboy Perez, and re-elected San Manuel Mayor Kenneth Perez. (Text and photo: Renato "Atong" Remogat)  

The best example for political spectators to comprehend the nuances this op-ed article's espouses is to learn how a majority opposition councilors in Dagupan City paralyzed then Mayor Brian Lim and his administration when the pro former Mayor Belen T. Fernandez lawmakers did not approve the 2022 P1.380 billion city budget.

Lim could not even chalk up a compromise with these Dads because they were well taken care (tens of millions of pesos’ wink wink?) by the billionaire Belen Fernandez.

That schism orchestrated by Fernandez marginalized Lim and saw him bludgeoned in the ballot boxes by the shrewd former mayor.

Can the Espinos sustain the cohesion of the majority of the Board Members loyal to them just like what the chutzpah of Fernandez?