Gubernatorial candidate Hernani Braganza today challenged his rival, incumbent
Gov. Amado Espino, Jr., to stop hiding and face him in a debate to enlighten
Pangasinan voters on their respective positions regarding the problems plaguing
the province.
Braganza, the Liberal Party’s candidate, issued the challenge after Gov. Espino
unceremoniously skipped the debate sponsored by the Commission on Elections
(Comelec) in Dagupan City and aired live over Radyo Bombo last Saturday.
Gov. Espino initially agreed to attend the much-awaited debate, which was
also-co-sponsored by the Parish Pastoral Council on Responsible Voting (PPCRV),
but the governor backed out at the last hour for unknown reasons.
As a result, the panelists who were supposed to grill the gubernatorial
candidates on their respective platforms of government instead spent
one-and-a-half hour interviewing Braganza on his plans to address the issues
facing the province.
“I am very disappointed that my rival chose to snub the invitation from the
Comelec, PPCRV and Radyo Bombo. This should have been a great opportunity for
the voters to choose the better gubernatorial candidate,” Braganza said.
During the interview, Braganza scored Gov. Espino for his lackluster
performance in the Provincial Capitol for the period of six years.
“We have given Gov. Espino six years to improve the living condition of
Pangasinenses. Everybody in Pangasinan knows that he has failed in this mission,”
he said.
Despite the province’s potential for growth and development, Braganza said
Pangasinan has become a laggard in Region I in the areas of peace and order,
poverty and hunger, health, and education.
He noted that one out of four Pangasinenses, or about 25% of the provincial
population, is considered poor and barely survives on a P48.5 daily budget.
“We have the worst poverty situation among the provinces in Region I. This is
unacceptable, considering the fact that Pangasinan is rich in agricultural and
marine resources and we, Pangasinenses, are known as a hard-working people,” he
added.
Braganza said 10 towns in Pangasinan have also topped the list
of municipalities with highest poverty incidence in Region 1, as admitted by
the provincial planning and development officer.
The Liberal Party’s candidate said Pangasinan has also the
highest crime rate in the Region, with 7,333 crimes recorded in 2011. This
represents 71.62% of the total number of crimes (10,239) committed in the
Region.
“Gov. Espino is a former police officer. How come Pangasinan turned out as the
most crime-prone province?” he pointed out.
Of the 7,333 crimes recorded in Pangasinan, Braganza said only 2,624 cases were
solved. This represents 35.78% crime solution rate, which is also the lowest in
Region 1.
Compounding the peace and order problem is the fact that there were more than
270 cases of unsolved killings recorded in Pangasinan last year, Braganza said.
“Most of these unsolved killings, perpetrated by gunmen riding in tandem on
motorcycles, are politically-motivated,” he added.
Braganza explained that Gov. Espino’s failure to address the issues of poverty
and breakdown in peace and order would leave Pangasinenses with no choice but
to look for an alternative candidate.
“We, in the Liberal Party, are offering concrete programs of action based on
good governance. These programs are geared for one purpose: improve the living
condition of our people,” Braganza added.
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