Are Celeste, Estrella Running Against Guv Monmon in 2028?

By Mortz C. Ortigoza, MPA

A seasoned politician (a former long reigning town mayor) told me on condition of anonymity two weeks ago that Pangasinan First District Cong. Art Celeste was being egged by somebody influential and moneyed to run against Governor Monmon Guico on the May 8, 2028 election.

“But how could he (Celeste) run against the Governor, the latter told me in July that he would pick as a tandem the congressman’s son and Alaminos City graduating mayor Arth Bryan as his vice governorship tandem in 2028,” I told the politician and now businessman.

Just this morning while nursing my coffee at the front yard of my abode in Dagupond, er, Dagupan City, a member of the bloc voting Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) in Western Pangasinan told me through phone that Celeste -- he heard from his fellow flocks -- was indeed running for the governorship.

“What will happen in the mayoralty race in Alaminos, who will replace Cong. Art when he tangles for the city’s top diadem against Vice Mayor Jose Antonio Miguel Perez, who will run against Anton?” I queried.

“The Celestes will allow Vice Mayor Anton to run for the mayorship unopposed because of this governorship bid,” my source told me.

The formidable Veem told me several months ago in San Carlos City during a seminar of the provincial executives and legislators under the tutelage of the Department of Interior and Local Government that he decided “damn the torpedo, sanamagan!” to run for the mayorship against Cong. Art. He stressed there that – as part of the agreement with the Celestes – he should be Mayor Bryan's heir apparent as per understanding before the young Celeste and him gambled for the top two posts in the May 2019 election. But that pact was not honored, he deplored to me. Anton’s father-in-law is a top man of the INC in the country.

Upon hearing this from the INC guy, I called my contact in Alaminos City to confirm the Celeste and VM Perez’s brouhahas. My mole there told me that he heard too that Cong. Art will be leaving the mayorship bid against a popular VM Anton –- an illustrious son of Alaminos with the backing of the populace there and the INC. Perez in a quid pro quo makes Celeste’s son and namesake City Councilor Jun-Jun Celeste (former Pangasinan Councilors' League President) as his vice mayoralty tandem, instead.

“A loyal supporter of Sual Mayor Dong Calugay told me that Cong. Art will be running under a campaign chest of P1.6 billion where some of wherewithal comes from the influential backer,” my source told me asking that I would not quote his name.

“Anlaki naman P1.6 billion?” I posed.

“Kasi ang pakurong (vote buying) sa Pangasinan is Piso (one billion pesos) dapat may maibibigay ka na P500 kada botante para manalo ang kandidato,” he retorted.

Curious about this political development that added to my previous thought that former governor Pogi Espino and Department of Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrad Estrella III will tangle with Guico in the gargantuan province, I went to the Capitol in Lingayen today and inquired the veracity of these rumors, er, infos.

When I met a top official there, he denied about Estrella and Celeste running for the governorship.

“Hindi totoo iyan”.

He told me that Celeste and the governor talk on the phone regularly and his son (Mayor Bryan) will be the Guv’nor tandem in 2028.

The governor and Celeste will be meeting next week. “So how come he is running for the governorship when he supported the last term bid of the governor in the May 2028 poll?”

Another source told me a month ago that Estrella has no plan for the governorship because he eyes a senate seat.

“Conrad is not running (for the governorship),” my source at the Capitol said.

In the senatorial polls for the May 2028 election released several weeks ago by Pulso ng Pilipino ng Issues and Advocacy Center (The CENTER), Estrella was No. 14 (10%) while DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara was No. 10 (37%), Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla was No. 11 (24%), and Defense Secretary Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro No. 12 (20%). Where’s Pangasinan 2^nd District Rep. Mark Cojuangco? I though he’ll run for the Senate in 2028 to buttress his nuclear advocacy in a country wallowing with the most expensive price of electricity in the ASEAN.

 All of these quartet are – to borrow the title of the popular book about the downfall of U.S President Richard Nixon -- “All the President’s Men”. My friend and former senator Grace Poe and Sen. Raffy Tulfo got the top two of that polls.

 ‘Nough said!