LP eyes tandem of town mayor, ex-gov in Pangasinan elections

The ruling Liberal Party is planning to field as its candidate for governor of Pangasinan Alaminos City Mayor Hernani Braganza, who had helped campaign for President Aquino in one of the country’s most vote-rich provinces.

Former governor Victor Agbayani may be fielded as candidate for vice governor, according to Oscar Lambino, LP provincial vice chair.

Lambino said LP leaders see the Braganza-Agbayani team-up as the “stronger combination.”

If the LP pushes through with this plan, Braganza will challenge the reelection bid of Gov. Amado Espino Jr. while Agbayani, also a former congressman, will be up against Vice Gov. Ferdinand Calimlim Jr.

Lambino said the LP leadership will finalize its decision soon.

Braganza said the LP leadership discussed the party’s possible candidates in Pangasinan during a meeting on Friday in Quezon City. Another meeting had been set to finalize the slate, he said.

He confirmed that party leaders wanted to field his tandem with Agbayani. “There is a clamor for that team from the party leaders and even the LP’s provincial leaders,” he said.

Agbayani lost to Espino in the 2010 gubernatorial race. In 2007, Espino won his first term as governor against Agbayani’s wife, Jamie Eloise.

In Nueva Ecija, another member of the Joson family will try to stop the reelection bid of Nueva Ecija Gov. Aurelio Umali, who, in 2007, ended the Josons’ grip of the province’s leadership for more than 50 years.

Nueva Ecija Rep. Josefina Manuel-Joson on Tuesday said she will challenge Umali in the May 2013 elections.

Manuel-Joson is the wife of Quezon Mayor Mariano Cristino Joson. She will not only carry the burden of leading the Joson-formed Bagong Lakas ng Nueva Ecija (Balane) party to victory but will try to avenge the loss of her husband to Umali in the gubernatorial race in 2007. Umali also defeated former Vice Gov. Edward Thomas Joson, son of former Gov. Tomas Joson, in the gubernatorial race in 2010. Reports from Yolanda Sotelo, Inquirer Northern Luzon and Anselmo Roque, Inquirer Central Luzon