GUICO UPSETS ESPINO

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

The challenger was unfazed by the size of the political machine and the black propaganda resorted by the supporters of the electoral titan and still beat him in the congressional derby.

“I just backed up my campaign with positive campaigning. I was never affected by the negative propapaganda, the poison letter, the black propaganda. I never smeared sinisiraan ang aking opponent. So it’s just a positive way of campaigning,” Binalonan exiting mayor Ramon “Monmon” Guico, III cited his victory against Pangasinan Fifth District Congressman Amado T. Espino, Jr. after he was proclaimed Tuesday by the Provincial Board of Canvassers of the Commission on Election (Comelec) at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan in Lingayen town.

VICTORY JOE – Exiting Binalonan Mayor Ramon “Monmon” Guico, III flashes the Victory Sign before his proclamation by the Provincial Board of Canvassers of the Commission on Election at the Capitol in Lingayen town. Guico trounced out incumbent Pangasinan Fifth District Congressman Amado T. Espino, Jr in the May 13 election. That defeat was considered an upset in the mammoth province’s politics as Espino was considered as Pound-for-Pound marquee politician. Photo by Mortz C. Ortigoza 

Espino was considered as an astute marquee politician who vanquished the province’s political elites in the gubernatorial races like the spouses Jamie and and nine years governor  Victor Agbayani, and former congressman Hernani Braganza, and congressional race rival the then incumbent 5^th District Representative Kimi Cojuangco.

“The guy was politically invincible who kept winning elections until Binalonan Mayor Monmon drew sword with him,” a pundit, who asked for anonymity, said. “

“He was once like Greek mythology's King Midas. Everything he touched turn into gold,” he added.

---

The young solon - elect told this writer that unlike his opponent’s supporters, he did not resort to mudslinging but instead  crowed during the hustings in the eight towns one city’s district the beauty and potential of the chosen areas that he will promote once elected to the national August chamber based in Quezon City.

“I’m encouraging them to be one with me in its development if I can get elected as the representative,” he told the voters during the official 45 days campaign period to the May 13, 2019 election.                 

Guico said that during his sorties and whistle stops he had no incumbent mayors to buttress his electoral stocks.

“Wala akong machineries talagang sa field ako. I sold myself there. I went to many communities mga purok purok and meet with the people. That’s my way of campaigning. Iyang makinarya ng opponent ko iyan ang lumalaban sa akin, hinihigpitan ako masyado”.

The PBOC proclaimed him Tuesday at 4 Pm after he garnered 125.136 votes against the 121, 624 votes of Espino or a 3,512 lead votes.

Espino is an alumnus of the Philippine Military Academy , a decorated retired police colonel idolized by generals, a former nine years governor of Pangasinan, and a one term or three years congressman of the Fifth District.

Guico dismissed as propaganda the 84 percent – 16 percent equation provincial poll conducted last February 24 to 28 by Vox Populi Polls by scientific and veteran pollster Art Valenzuela when asked by this newspaper the adjustments he did after a pathetic showing two months - and - a - half before the election day.

“Propaganda lang iyan!”

He said as a doctorate degree holder he created his own poll to gauge the sentiment of the 324,319 voters (November 2018 Comelec data) in the eastern Pangasinan district.

It is the third vote rich district in the six congressional districts’ Pangasinan.

“Siyempre kung nag campaign ako may scientific approach din sa akin. I have the data. Ako naman graduate ako ng doctorate alam ko naman ang research, alam ko naman ang statistics, alam ko naman lahat iyang pag conduct ng mga ganyan”.

He said with the collaboration of the team he formed, he designed his own poll.

“Hindi ako nagpatinag diyan kasi alam ko iyong data ko. Alam ko kung nasaan ang preference ko. Alam ko kung saan ko eku-convert,” Guico, who is a helicopter pilot in the family owned WCC Aviation School in Binalonan, cited.

Six days before the casting of vote in the May 13 election, the tarmac of the WCC was flooded with a sea of humanity ferried by countless of buses by Guico and his father and namesake comebacking mayoralty candidate Ramon Jr. to watch the grand rally of Senator Grace Poe and other candidates for the provincial and municipal posts.

“I was requested by our allies in the national and political parties to host the rally at our airport,” he told this writer as they waited for the arrival of Poe, prolific actor Coco Martin, and Abono Party List Chief Rosendo So who motorcade in the Third and Fourth Congressional Districts of the province.

The masses turned gaga on that rally when Martin known as a no-nonsense cop Cardo Dalisay and the Vendetta group in the television series Ang Probinsiyano strutted their musical stuff.

Other actresses that hyped the program, that spike the political stocks of Guico, were Giselle Sanchez and Poe’s veteran actress mother Susan Roces.