Pangasinan now administration stronghold as officials join PDP-Laban

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi (left) leads the swearing in ceremony for Pangasinan officials, led by Rep. Amado Espino Jr. (left), who joined the administration party PDP-Laban. — WILLIE LOMIBAO

LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN—Almost all Pangasinan officials, including a former governor who was mistakenly linked by President Duterte to drug trafficking, have joined the administration party, Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP)-Laban.

The officials, led by former governor and now Rep. Amado Espino Jr., were sworn in on Wednesday as new PDP-Laban members by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, party vice chair, at the Sison auditorium here.

Espino was listed in a drug matrix made public on Aug. 25 to tie former and incumbent officials to drug lords detained in New Bilibid Prison. Mr. Duterte said these officials were part of a syndicate supplying illegal drugs inside the NBP.

But on Sept. 27, Mr. Duterte cleared Espino and apologized publicly for the mistake.

Asked about his relationship with Mr. Duterte, Espino said he appreciated the President’s gesture of regret for tying him to drug trafficking.

“I guess Secretary Cusi’s presence here will speak for itself,” Espino added.

Cusi also inducted Espino’s son, Gov. Amado Espino III, Vice Gov. Jose Ferdinand Calimlim, all 13 members of the provincial board and mayors, vice mayors and councilors from the different towns and cities of Pangasinan.

The event makes vote-rich Pangasinan, which has more than 1.6 million voters, the first province to stage a mass defection to the administration party, Cusi said.

“Individuals and groups have been joining our party but this is the first time that a province has joined the PDP-Laban,” he said.

Cusi described the exodus to PDP-Laban as “a partnership between PDP-Laban and Pangasinan for the advancement of President Duterte’s advocacies, especially his antidrug, anticorruption and anticriminality campaigns.”

Also present was Pangasinan Rep. Jesus Celeste, who said he had joined the party in a ceremony last week in Metro Manila. In May, Celeste ran under the Nationalist People’s Coalition.

The elder Espino ran under the Aksyon Demokratiko after the National Unity Party withdrew the nomination it issued to him in favor of a candidate fielded by his opponent.

Cusi said PDP-Laban has been organizing forums to educate the people on federalism. —GABRIEL CARDINOZA