Hugpong senatorial bets court vote-rich Pangasinan

Hugpong ng Pagbabago senatorial candidates take their campaign caravan to vote-rich Pangasinan on Thursday. About 3,500 people attended the party’s rally at the Urdaneta Cultural and Sports Center. PHOTO BY Gabriel Cardinoza

URDANETA CITY — Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) senatorial candidates on Thursday continued their campaign caravan in the vote-rich province of Pangasinan.

HNP is the regional party of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, who was present during the rally here.

Francis Tolentino and re-electionist Sen. Sonny Angara were the first ones to address the crowd at the Urdaneta Cultural and Sports Center at 9 a.m.

Police estimated the crowd at about 3,500 and most of the people in the audience wore red shirts.

“We’re wearing red shirts not because it’s Valentine’s Day but because these are our uniforms as barangay health workers,” a member of the audience said.

Rep. Amado Espino Jr., son Gov. Amado Espino III and other local officials welcomed the party and its slate.

Tolentino said local solutions to national problems could be done by sharing best practices among local governments.

He said if he wins the senate race, he would seek an increase in the barangay calamity fund from five to 15 percent.

Former TV reporter Jiggy Manicad, Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos and another re-electionist Sen. JV Ejercito and his half-brother Jinggoy Estrada were also present during the rally.

Pangasinan has about 1.8 million voters, the country’s third biggest. /lzb