Dagupan polls pit mother vs son

DAGUPAN CITY – It’s mother against son in the race for barangay (village) captain in one of the villages in this coastal city in Pangasinan as the Commission on Elections on Friday started accepting certificates of candidacy (COC) for the October 28 barangay election.

The fight is between 82-year-old Julita Vallejos, the reelectionist Poblacion Oeste barangay captain, and her 48-year-old son, Joseph, the fifth in a brood of six. They will face barangay council member Alfredo Ordonio, who also filed his COC on Friday.

“It pains me to know as a mother that [Joseph] is still running against me. I was crying and he was crying,” said Vallejos.

“I had wanted him to give way, just for this term, then he can replace me. I know my son. I think he was just goaded by some people to run against me,” she said.

Vallejos’ eldest son, Councilor Guillermo Vallejos, said he had talked to his brother on September 3 and asked him to give way to their mother and run for kagawad (council member) instead.

“I told him that our mother is already old and maybe, after one year, he can already take over as barangay captain because I will help him win as the top kagawad,” Guillermo said.

But he said his brother answered back: “Mayor Belen (Fernandez) will get angry with me if I don’t run.” Gabriel Cardinoza, Inquirer Northern Luzon