LP can’t gain Luzon foothold

Closing its grueling three-month campaign, the Team PNoy senatorial slate holds its “miting de avance” at Amoranto Stadium in Quezon City on Friday. With President Aquino are (from left): Bam Aquino, Antonio Trillanes IV, Sonny Angara, Aquilino Pimentel III, Grace Poe, Francis Escudero, Jamby Madrigal, Alan Peter Cayetano, Risa Hontiveros, Ramon Magsaysay Jr., Loren Legarda and Cynthia Villar. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—The Liberal Party’s quest to become the ruling party for the 2016 presidential election is going to be a much longer and harder journey, as far as central and northern Luzon are concerned.

The party could not muster support from provinces where they invested resources on congressional and gubernatorial candidates, based on the outcome of the May 13 midterm elections in the northern regions.

Of 22 northern and central Luzon gubernatorial posts, LP only won five—three of these in the remote upland provinces of Kalinga, Abra and Apayao in the Cordillera.

Of 46 north and central Luzon representatives elected to Congress, 17 are LP members representing the party’s legislative network from this corner of the country for the next three years.

LP network

The party’s gubernatorial network is now composed of reelected Governors Junie Cua (Quirino), Eustaquio Bersamin (Abra), Elias Bulut Jr. (Apayao), Jocel Baac (Kalinga) and Aurelio Umali (Nueva Ecija).

In Congress, LP measures are expected to have the support of the following party members: Representatives Dina Abad (Batanes), Eric Singson (Ilocos Sur), Rosemarie Arenas (Pangasinan), Dax Cua (Quirino), Herminia Roman (Bataan), Arthur Robes (San Jose del Monte, Bulacan), Jonjon Mendoza (Bulacan), and Linabelle Ruth Villarica (Bulacan).

Also supporting the party agenda are Representatives Joseph Violago (Nueva Ecija), Cherry Umali (Nueva Ecija), Oscar Rodriguez (Pampanga), Cheryl Deloso-Montalla (Zambales), Ma. Jocelyn Bernos (Abra), Ronald Cosalan (Benguet), Teodoro Baguilat Jr. (Ifugao), Manuel Agyao (Kalinga) and Maximo Dalog (Mt. Province).

No candidates

Some of the gubernatorial races did not have LP candidates. For example, Ilocos Norte was a Marcos family affair because LP did not challenge reelected Gov. Imee Marcos, a Nacionalista Party candidate, who ran unopposed, alongside reelected Ilocos Norte Rep. Rudy Fariñas (NP).

The lone Kilusang Bagong Lipunan candidate, reelected Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos won against two rivals.

In Pangasinan, the provincial canvass report showed that 1,258,140 of Pangasinan’s 1,552,979 registered voters cast their votes in Monday’s elections, posting a turnout of 81 percent.

Dagupan City’s 98,835 registered voters are not included in the provincial total because the city is an independent component city and does not vote for governor.

Pangasinan debacle

In the final tally, reelected Gov. Amado Espino Jr., who ran under the Nationalist People’s Coalition, obtained 851,760 votes while his opponent, Alaminos City Mayor Hernani Braganza of LP, received 297,409 votes.

Bulacan posted a turnout of 80.47 percent (1,293,945) of the 1,479,756 registered voters, according to the Comelec. Tonette Orejas and Carmela Reyes-Estrope, Inquirer Central Luzon; and Gabriel Cardinoza, Inquirer Northern Luzon