DAGUPAN CITY—Gov. Amado Espino Jr. and his running mate, Vice Gov. Jose Ferdinand Calimlim Jr., on Tuesday barnstormed in three western Pangasinan towns to begin their reelection bids in rallies that the candidates’ party, Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), said were well attended.
Espino and Calimlim first held a proclamation rally for their candidates in Infanta town, where some 1,000 supporters joined them.
Reelectionist Pangasinan Rep. Jesus Celeste, also an NPC candidate, joined them.
Butch Velasco, provincial information officer, said Espino’s group then moved to Dasol town, where reelectionist Mayor Noel Nacar and his ticket were proclaimed.
The group was also scheduled to hold a proclamation rally in Burgos town on Tuesday afternoon.
While Espino did not attend a peace covenant signing among candidates in the province last month, he said he was committing to conduct his campaign “according to the rules and guiding principles of clean, honest, accountable, meaningful and peaceful elections,” which the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) had been advocating.
“For the record, these are the same guide posts that I have lived by in working for clean and peaceful elections, ever since I served as Pangasinan and Region 1 [police] director, as a congressman and now as governor,” Espino said in a letter he sent to the PPCRV and Commission on Elections to explain his absence in the covenant signing.
In a press statement, NPC said in Infanta town alone, at least 1,500 attended the rally for the Espino-Calimlim ticket.
Infanta Mayor Virgilio Vallarta, who took over slain Mayor Ruperto Martinez, is seeking reelection with Martinez’s son, Richard, as his running mate.
Celeste said black propaganda materials were being distributed in Infanta as the NPC ticket campaigned in the town.
In the NPC statement, Espino denounced what he said were “dirty tactics” by his opponents. “Such tactics have affected my family, particularly my mother, who is still in the hospital,” he said.
In Dasol town, NPC said at least 3,000 people attended the Espino-Calimlim rally. Dasol Mayor Noel Nacar, head of the League of Mayors of Pangasinan, told the townspeople that worthy projects would continue under him.
Calimlim said NPC in Pangasinan is banking on teamwork for the ticket’s success.
Espino said numerous awards that the province received under him would counter claims that Pangasinan regressed under him.
“We are doing all of these for the next generations to come,” the NPC statement quoted him as saying. Gabriel Cardinoza, Inquirer Northern Luzon