Sa Debate sa Bomboy: GOB ESPINO NABAHAG ANG BUNTOT!

Hindi sumipot si reelectionist Gov. Amado T. Espino J.r sa pinakauna at pinakaaabangang debate sa Bombo Radyo Dagupan noong Sabado, dahilan upang umiskor ng malaking puntos ang kanyang mahigpit na kalaban sa pagka-gobernador na si Alaminos City Mayor Hernani Braganza.

Ang debate ay inorganisa ng Commission on Elections, Kapisanan ng mga Broadkaster ng Pilipinas, PPCRV at ng Bombo Radyo Philippines upang bigyan ang mga kandidato sa  Pangasinan at siyudad ng Dagupan ng pagkakataong iprisinta ang kanilang plataporma de gobyerno at sagutin ang mga maiinit na isyus na kinakaharap nila.

Marami sa mga Pangasinenses, maging ang mga organizers, na umantabay sa debate ay dismayado sa hindi pagsipot ni Espino ngunit nalugod na rin sa isang banda dahil kanilang narinig ang maliwanag na plano ni Braganza para sa tunay na pagunlad ng lalawigan ng Pangasinan.

PANGIT POINTS

Ayon sa mga mamamahayag sa radyo, TV, at pahayagan, isang malaking minus factor kay Espino  ang ginawang pag-isnab niya sa debate, dahil lumalabas na iniiwasan o hindi niya kayang sagutin ang mga mabibigat na isyung ipinupukol sa kanya.

Pangunahin dito ang umano’y pagkakasangkot niya sa iligal na sugal na jueteng, black sand mining sa Lingayen, at San Fabian at pagpatay kay Mayor Ruperto Martinez ng bayan ng Infanta.

“Mas naniniwala ngayon ang maraming mamamayan ng Pangasinan na mas mapagkakatiwalaang pinuno ng lalawigang Pangasinan si Braganza dahil mag-isa at direkta niyang hinarap at sinagot ang lahat ng mga katanungan ng mga panelista,” ayon kay aling Rosalinda Manuel, isang guro sa bayan ng Sison, Pangasinan.

PANGASINAN MUNA, HINDI BULSA MUNA

Umani naman ng maraming “Pogi Points” si Braganza sa kanyang maliwanag na development plan para tuluyan ng magtake-off ang lalawigan ng Pangasinan na ayon sa kanya ay “napag-iwanan na ng mga lalawigan katulad ng Cebu at Davao.”

Aniya mayaman ang natural at human resources ng lalawigan ngunit hindi ito napapakinabangang mabuti dahil mas inuuna pa ng gobernador ang sarili nitong pakinabang.

“Patunayan ni Espino na wala siyang nakaw na yaman, hinahamon ko siyang na sabay naming ilabas ang aming Statement of Assets and Liabilities (SALN) para makita ng aming mga kababayan kung sino ang nagpayaman sa posisyon.

GIANT PROJECTS, HINDI GHOST PROJECTS

Ipinagmalaki din ni Braganza ang ilan sa kanyang “giant projects” na aniya ay dahilan ng mabilis na pag-unlad ng Alaminos gaya ng mga sumusunod:

1.       Pangasinan State University (Alaminos City Campus)

2.       Gawad Kalinga Eco-Village

3.       E-Kawayan Factory

4.       Hundred Islands Services Complex

5.       Convention Center and Hotel

6.       Alaminos City Development Airport

7.       Computer Laboratories with free internet in all barangays

2 BILYONG PISO, UTANG NG LALAWIGAN

Ibinunyag ni Braganza sa debate na ang lalawigan ng Pangasinan ngayon ay may P2 Bilyon utang kaya ipinilit ni Espino at kanyang mga kakampi sa Sangguniang Panlalawigan na ipatupad ang 300 porsyentong pagtaas sa pagbabayad ng Real Property Taxes.

Noong tumakbo siyang gobernador noong 2007, binatikos niya ang 300 milyong pisong utang ng lalawigan sa ilalim ni dating gobernador Victor E. Agbayani. Ngunit sa kanyang panunungkulan, nagkaroon ng 2 bilyong pisong utang ang ating lalawigan, ani Braganza.

MORE PUBLIC DEBATES

Ayon naman sa isang iskolar na si Engelbert Maramba ng Calasiao, “katulad ng mga inaabangang public debates ng mga lumalabang pangulo sa Amerika, ang debate ang pangunahing batayan ng mga botante sa pagpili ng mahusay at tapat na pinuno.”

“Kung sa America ginanap ang debateng ‘yan at hindi sumipot si Espino, siguradong talo na siya sa eleksyon,” dagdag ni Maramba.

BRAGANZA DARES ESPINO: STOP HIDING AND FACE ME IN DEBATE

            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.

LAKBAY PANGASINAN, LAKBAY PAGBABAGO

‘LAKBAY PANGASINAN, LAKBAY PAGBABAGO’

Braganza-Lomibao Team Kicks off Campaign with Barangay Sorties

Gubernatorial candidate Hernani Braganza and his running mate Arturo Lomibao formally kick off their electoral campaign dubbed “Lakbay Pangasinan, Lakbay Pagbabago” tomorrow (April 1) with barangay sorties and town hall meetings in the towns of Urbiztondo, Mangatarem and Bugallon, hoping to deliver their messages directly  to voters even in far-flung barrios.

Braganza, the mayor of Alaminos City, explained that the Liberal Party in Pangasinan would focus on grassroots campaigning as part of its effort to reach the greatest number of voters possible in the 45-day campaign period.

“We will go directly to the voters to listen to their concerns and to deliver our messages,” said the LP’s gubernatorial bet.

“We will attend the rallies organized by our local candidates in the town plazas, but we will devote most of our time interacting with our fellow Pangasinenses in the barrios,” he added.

Braganza noted that the barangay consultations would be interactive in character, enabling voters not just to see and hear the candidates but also giving them the chance to articulate their aspirations for a better Pangasinan.

Voters and residents will also be encouraged to become an integral part of the campaign in their respective barangays by spearheading a series of localized activities -- such as vote’s education-- aimed to promote the programs of the Braganza-Lomibao team to as many citizens as possible.

Braganza admitted that grassroots campaigning might be physically taxing on him and his running mate given the fact that Pangasinan has the biggest land area among the provinces with almost 1.6 million voters.

But Braganza noted that he and Lomibao, a former chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), are prepared physically and mentally to undertake such a rigorous campaign schedule.

“Grassroots campaigning is the only way to counter the traditional use of guns, goons and gold by our political rivals,” said Braganza, a former student activist and an advocate of grassroots campaigning.

Braganza noted that his supporters from religious, civic and business groups would also campaign in the grassroots level, particularly in areas that he could no longer visit due to time constraints.

“Aside from the Liberal Party machinery, the organizations in the grassroots level have committed to campaign for our ticket and ensure the victory of Team P-Noy in Pangasinan,” he said.

“Our youth groups, on the other hand, have committed to campaign actively in the social media to reach voters in the cities and other urban areas,” he added.

Keeping within Comelec-prescribed limits, for a change

The barangay sorties and town hall meetings would also allow the Liberal Party candidates to spend for the campaign within the limit prescribed by law and the Commission on Elections (Comelec), Braganza explained.

Under the law, a local candidate is allowed to spend only PhP3 for every voter. This means that a local candidate in Pangasinan, which has 1.6 million voters, is limited to spend only PhP4.8 million during the campaign period.

“Traditionally, candidates are obliged to provide food and spend for transportation during big rallies. That, in itself, is a violation of election laws,” Braganza pointed out.

Braganza said he had also advised his supporters to follow strictly the Comelec guidelines in the printing and posting of campaign posters and other paraphernalia.

“I have advised them against printing oversized posters, banners and streamers. I also advised them not to post campaign posters outside the Comelec-sanctioned areas,” he added.

Orduña: Espino Rose, Will Fall in Bugallon

The town of Bugallon made him congressman, then Pangasinan governor. But Bugallon residents are now disappointed with their adopted son, Amado Espino Jr, and now want Alaminos City Mayor Hernani Braganza to be their Governor.

 

This campaign pitch by Bugallon Mayor Ric Orduña has convinced Braganza, the Liberal Party’s gubernatorial candidate, to include Bugallon in the three Pangasinan towns where he starts his grassroots electoral campaign dubbed “Lakbay Pangasinan, Lakbay Pagbabago.”

 

Braganza and his running mate Arturo Lomibao formally kicked off their electoral campaign today (April 1) with barangay sorties and town hall meetings in the towns of Urbiztondo, Mangatarem and Bugallon, hoping to deliver their messages directly to voters even in far-flung barrios.

 

Braganza explained that the Liberal Party in Pangasinan would focus on grassroots campaigning as part of its efforts to reach the largest number of voters possible in the 45-day campaign period.

 

“Dito sa Bugallon nagsimula si Amado Espino sa pulitika. Dito rin namin siya ibabagsak,” said Orduña, a former friend and trusted political lieutenant of Gov. Espino.

 

Orduña has filed a criminal charge of plunder with the Ombudsman, accusing Gov. Espino of allegedly pocketing more than PhP900 million from the proceeds of jueteng and other illegal numbers games in Pangasinan.

 

Another former ally of Gov. Espino, Fernando Alimagno alias “Boy Bata,” has submitted his own affidavit at the Ombudsman’s office confirming Orduña’s allegations. Alimagno confessed to being one of the country’s biggest jueteng operators.

 

Orduñas helped Espino launch his political career

 

Orduña narrated that Espino, after retiring from the police service, asked help from their family in 2001 to help him launch his political career in Bugallon.

 

Espino, a native of Bautista town, reportedly wanted to run as congressman but could not do so in the Fifth District due to the political clout of the Cojuangco clan.

 

“Inampon namin siya dito sa Bugallon para makatakbo siya bilang congressman ng Second District. Hindi raw siya kasi mananalo sa Fifth District dahil tiyak na ilalampaso siya ng mga Cojuangco doon,” Orduña recalled.

 

He said Espino registered as a voter in Bugallon even though he was not residing in the area at the time. Espino, he added, used a dilapidated warehouse in Barangay Portic as his official residence to qualify as a registered voter in Bugallon.

 

“Tinulungan ng pamilya namin na manalo siya bilang congressman. Ginawa din namin ang lahat para manalo siyang gobernador,” the Bugallon mayor pointed out.

 

Despite their all-out support for Espino, Orduña said the governor never showed respect to their family, and even treated them with contempt.

 

“Tulad ng maraming Pangasinense, sanay na kaming tawagin ni Gov (Espino) na ‘bakes’ (monkey),” Orduña said.

 

Turning point: Orduña’s son mauled by Espino’s men

 

His disappointment with Espino reportedly came to a head when his son was mauled by the Governor’s men after an altercation in a basketball game.

 

“Nag-away ang mga anak namin sa basketball pero imbis na awatin ang mga bata, ipinagulpi pa ang anak ko,” Orduña said.

 

That incident, he added, made him decide to disassociate himself from Espino and look for other candidates to support in the gubernatorial race.

 

“Mabuti na lang at tumakbo si Nani Braganza dahil alam kong siya lang ang makakatalo kay Gov (Espino),” the Bugallon mayor said.

 

Orduña said he did not know Braganza personally until he joined the Liberal Party to run for vice mayor of Bugallon. Orduña has already served three terms as mayor.

 

Braganza has never taken jueteng bribes

Orduña explained that he has chosen Braganza as his gubernatorial bet as he was aware of the Alaminos mayor’s accomplishments as a public servant, both in the national and local government.

 

He also noted that Braganza was one of the few Pangasinan mayors who had never taken a bribe from jueteng and other forms of illegal gambling.

 

“Malaki ang paghanga ko kay Nani. Walang jueteng sa Alaminos dahil ayaw niyang tumanggap ng lagay. Malaki rin ang nakita kong pagbabago sa Alaminos mula nang maupo siya bilang mayor,” Orduña said.