By Mortz C. Ortigoza
SAN CARLOS CITY, Pangasinan – Supporters of outgoing Senator Grace Poe are calling her to run against reelectionist Pangasinan 3rd District Rep. Ma. Rachel Arenas on the May 12, 2025 local and national elections.
“May tama si Rachel kay Grace
Poe. Taga Malasiqui siya tapos ang kalaban kinikilalang taga vote-rich San
Carlos City at anak pa ni Fernando Poe, Jr (Congresswoman Rachel will have a
run for her money. She came from Malasiqui while the challenger is a recognized
daughter of the vote –rich San Carlos City and movie icon Fernando Poe, Jr. who was the favorite son of the
city),” according to
political kibitzer Pido Montoya and his friends in Calasiao’s town about this
possible battle royal between the famous Senator and the well-entrenched Congresswoman.
Since time immemorial, those running for the district electoral position
like the membership of the provincial board won hands down against their rivals
from the five towns because they come from the landlocked most populated local
government unit.
The 87 villages’ San Carlos City leads in the number of votes with 119,
210 electorates (Comelec 2021) while the towns of Calasiao had 59, 823 voters,
Malasiqui possessed 79, 795 electorates, Bayambang had 76, 343 voters, Mapandan
(data unavailable) and Sta. Barbara possessed 51, 281 electorates.
When Poe ran for the senatorial races in 2013 and 2019 and on her failed
presidential bid in 2016, she got an overwhelming votes from the city because
people there recognized her as their own.
On her May 13, 2019 senate reelection, Poe got over 22 million votes in the
country, coming in second, only behind fellow Senator Cynthia Villar.
Whenever she dropped by in Pangasinan for a whistle stop in her
senatorial bids and presidential campaign, she met the siblings of her father
and kin from Barangay Kawayan Quiling here at a famous restaurant in this city.
“Pero alam niyo, ilang beses na
akong pumupunta dito sa Pangasinan, kasi alam naman ninyong kababayan ninyo
ako; alam naman ninyo na si FPJ, ang kanyang pinagmulan ay Pangasinan, kaya napaka-proud
si FPJ sa Pangasinan,” she
crowed about her father - affectionately called by the masa as “FPJ” the King of the celloluid screen - in a
hustling in the 2019 Senate race in Bayambang as published by Northern Watch Newspaper.
It is not common to see a senator of the Republic running for the membership
of the House of Representatives after his or her consecutive two terms or 12
years’ limit in the upper chamber.
Former Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Loren Legarda, Ralph Recto, Pia
Cayetano and Allan Cayetano ran and won
too their congressional seats in the past.
It needs only for Senator Poe to be registered voter and a resident for
at least one year in the 3rd Congressional District – the most
populated among the six congressional districts in Pangasinan - if she wants
to elected for the lower chamber.
Poe is a present resident of Quezon City while Arenas was originally a
resident of Makati City before she ventured and won in the 2007 congressional
election. She was succeeded by her mother socialite Baby Arenas in June 30,
2013 in the same post. She replaced her in June 30, 2022 congressional
election.
Before becoming a senator, Poe was the Chair of the Movie and Television
Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) in October 10, 2010 to October 2,
2012 under the administration of President Noynoy Aquino.
After her mother replaced her as the solon of the district, Arenas was
appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte to become the Chair of the MTRCB in January 20, 2017 to October 1, 2021. Many believed the appointment ensued
through the intercession of former President Fidel V. Ramos – a major supporter
of Duterte and Arenas’ mother best friend.
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