By Mortz C. Ortigoza
Pangasinan 2nd District Cong. Mark Cojuangco closest ally Councilor Jallen “Aning” Alipio is rumored to slugged it out with two-term Binmaley Mayor Pete Mererra in the May 2028 election.
I saw at Facebook the faces of Aning – a graduating Solon - being egged to run against Merrera where she is either in tandem with Councilors Ikong Francisco or Ariel Dela Concha.
Is Aning will be your opponent?” I asked Hizzoner Pete when I dropped by at
his office last Friday for coffee and stuck there for a three- hour’s’, son of a
gun!, chit-chat that I left his office at 5:30 PM.
He said he did not
give a damn on that rumor because he was enmeshed with the herculean problems
that haunt his coastal town from garbage collection, new garbage truck needed
to haul the average one to two tons of rubbish every week in every one of the 33
villages to the waste facility in Porac, Pampanga, security against malefactor
that could threaten the school children where he bought from his personal money
metal detectors to be distributed to schools all over the coastal town, and whatchamacallit.
“I’m presently shouldering the P21,000 a day
for those folks from Pugaro Island in Dagupan City to demolished those illegal
fish pens that become an eye-sore to our rivers. Those expert divers brought
their huge boat and paraphernalia”.
The Pugaro guys have
been doing the yeoman’s jobs for two weeks, the chief executive of the public
corporation – as described by the Local Government Code -- Binmaley told me.
We discussed too the
opening of the multi-national chains of fast food’s Jollibee branch on June 30
located near the town hall that replaced the Magic Mall. It is franchised by
the family of former Dagupan City Mayor Brian Lim to replace their anemic Magic
Mall that suffers in competition with rivals not only in Binmaley but in other
parts of the province and the independent component city of Dagupan.
Is CSI Mall –owned by
the Lims political nemesis Dagupan City Mayora Belen Fernandez – the culprit
for Magic to lose revenues? Or was it the expensive damn the torpedoes three elections
between Brian and Belen for the top post of Dagupond, er Dagupan City took the
toll for the business to go south?
American
multinational fast food restaurant chain’s McDonald and SM are being invited too
by Mayor Pete to boost business in the first class town.
“I’m presently mediating with the family of
former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile and the Sy family for a Shoe Mart (SM) to put
a mall at the 60 hectares’ fishpond owned by the Enrile family in Barangay
Biec. It’s good for business because at the back of the fishpond is the six
kilometers and four lanes’ Lingayen Bypass Highway (that connects the western
Pangasinan town and Dagupan City where people can exit at Barangay Pantal)” the Hizzoner explained.
The mayor gave a cold shoulder when I told him
about the picture being shared by Councilor Dela Concha from the account of
Aning at the social media crowing that she was with the three Dads.
“About yesterday, a meaningful kwentuhan with
my colleagues after our Monday regular session.From left to right- Councilor
Vismark, Councilor Ikong, Councilor Banong, Councilor Aning and Councilor
Ariel,” Alipio wrote.
“Is there a new opposition in the Sangguniang
Bayan that joined Ariel?” I
posed.
“Bahala sila diyan!” Mayor Merrera
quipped as he was buried in work signing those loads of documents stacks at his
table by his staff.
Infighting among the
lawmakers allied with former Vice Mayor Sam Rosario – a long reigning mayor – and
with those of Mayor Pete became infamous in Pangasinan and the country
especially when the Vice Mayor and Mayor clashed verbally inside the august
chamber.
I know what I’m
talking here because I got a video of that brouhaha I posted on my vlog/blog
101 Talk Radio that gathered hundreds of thousands “tsismosong” netizens to view, hahahaha!
The German blood
Councilor Vismark Valerio told me that Ariel beauteous wife (Agno No. 1 Councilor Lyn
Dela Concha) is going to challenge Agno Mayor John Celeste in the 2028
mayoralty derby in that western Pangasinan town.
“Ang pagkadinig ko si Coun. Mike Sison Gimelo (a
lawyer and a nephew of former mayor Gualberto Sison) ay tatakbong mayor while
si Coun. Lyn sa pagka Vice Mayor,” I retorted while we consumed the hot mami in a plastic container and
pandesal brought by Vice Mayor Mamenta.
Lyn, Sison-Gimelo, and the entire members of
the Sangguniang Bayan except one are giving headache to the newly minted Mayor
Celeste that until now his 2026 budget that should have been approved in the
second semester last year as mandated by law is still being hostage by the majority-opposition.
Because of this Agno is deprived of
infrastructure, services, and other projects through the twenty percent Development
Funds from the National Tax Allotment – that represents the bulk of the local
government budget – of the P235 million for this year
Celeste, a Civil Engineer and former regional
manager of the National Irrigation Administration, defeated former Mayor Sison with
2,165 margin where the former and latter got 10,293 and 8,128 votes,
respectively. Because the allies of Sison controlled the august chamber thus
Celeste is stuck by a reenacted budget of P210 million in 2025 sans the twenty
percent Development Plan.
My other source told me too that former mayor
Sam mulls for a comeback against Pete Merrera.
Will Sam Rosario give way if Aning slugs it
out with Mayor Merrera?
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