Presidential aspirant Jejomar Binay is welcomed in Pangasinan by Governor Amado Espino Jr., an ally of his rival Mar Roxas. MARC JAYSON CAYABYAB/INQUIRER.net
BINMALEY, Pangasinan –Vice President Jejomar Binay eyed springing back from his 2010 vice presidential loss here and win in this year’s presidential race in this vote-rich province.
United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) spokesperson Mon Ilagan said Binay would strive harder to win the presidential elections in Pangasinan after losing it in the 2010 vice presidential race.
In 2010, Liberal Party vice presidential candidate Manuel “Mar” Roxas II beat Binay by over 76,000 votes in Pangasinan, the third most vote-rich province in the country with 1.7 million registered voters.
Despite Roxas’ lead in Pangasinan, Binay still beat Roxas for vice president by a slim margin of over 727,000 votes.
Ilagan said Binay’s losing the province in 2010 is a concern but times may have changed because of Binay’s newfound alliance with former Pangasinan congressman Mark Cojuangco.
READ: Binay takes campaign to vote-rich Pangasinan
Cojuangco, the Nationalist People’s Coalition gubernatorial bet this year, will run against Amado “Pogi” Espino III, the son of outgoing Pangasinan governor Amado Espino Jr.
Meanwhile, Gov. Espino would gun for the congressional seat against Cojuangco’s wife Incumbent Pangasinan 5th district Rep. Kimi Cojuangco.
Gov. Espino, whose local party is allied with the Liberal Party, has also endorsed Roxas for president.
“It’s a concern but it’s a different situation now. Tumatakbong governor si former Cong. Mark Cojuangco. Nagpahayag ng full support kay VP Binay. Hindi natin madidiscount ang malaking suporta, ang maraming natulungan nating taumbayan ni Mark Cojuangco,” Ilagan said.
(It’s a concern but it’s a different situation now. Former Cong. Mark Cojuangco is running for governor. He has expressed full support for VP Binay. We also cannot discount the massive support, the help we had extended to Mark Cojuangco’s constituents.)
“Malaki ang posibilidad na manalo ang UNA sa Pangasinan (There’s a great possibility that UNA will win in Pangasinan),” he added.
Ilagan said Binay also has a chance of winning Pangasinan by striving harder to reach out to the locals in his sortie.
“Hindi tumitigil ang ating kandidato sa pagkapangulo. Ground warrior si Vice President Binay. I think that’s his advantage sa kanyang mga kalaban, considering ang core support niya nananatili,” Ilagan said.
“Nakikita natin dito sa Pangasinan na gumaganda ang kanyang ratings,” he added.
(Our presidential candidate does not stop. Vice President Binay is a ground warrior. I think he has an advantage over his rivals, considering that his core support remains.
We can see here in Pangasinan that his ratings are improving.)
Binay held a motorcade around noon from the Lingayen airport to a training center in nearby Binmaley municipality, where he addressed members of UNA and endorsed some local bets from the opposition party.
Binay reiterated his rosy promise of giving free social services, scrapping income tax for P30,000 or less income earners, and improving the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.
READ: Binay vows to scrap income tax for those earning P30,000 and below
Binay likewise vowed to remove irrigation fees for farmers.
The Vice President also hit the Aquino administration’s underspending, adding that a government should spend more on social services and not save funds.
Binay said the administration uses these savings to buy votes under the guise of the Bottom-Up Budgeting program.
“I will be a spending executive. The government is there to spend, not to save,” Binay said.
Binay then presided the 60th annual council meeting of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines at Sison Auditorium in the capitol in Lingayen, but he has requested no media coverage to prevent the organization from being politicized. CDG
READ: Binay wants to keep Boy Scouts politics-free