In Pangasinan, 41 bets just need one vote to win

DAGUPAN CITY — One vote is all these candidates need for their victory.

This is because it’s the banner year for 11 mayors, eight vice mayors, two congressmen, four provincial board members and 16 municipal council candidates who are all running unopposed and thus, are smelling sweet victory in the May 10 elections.

Running without challengers for mayor are Vivien Villar (Sto. Tomas town), Dionisio Lagmay (Sison), Alain Rabang (Umingan), Nonato Abrenica (Villasis) and Amadeo Perez Jr. (Urdaneta City).

Also unopposed are Leocadio de Vera Jr. (Bayambang) Ramon Guico Jr. (Binalonan), Angelita Jimenez (Dasol), Jose Ferdinand Calimlim (Mapandan), Jose Ginez (Sta. Maria) and Romulo Antolin (San Quintin).

For vice mayors, unchallenged are Charizzma Salud Carancho (Urdaneta City), Alvin Fernandez (Dagupan City), Teofilo Humilde (Alaminos), Jose Ramos (Bayambang), Myrna Bell Uy (Binalonan), Wilfredo Pescador (Sto. Tomas), Eldred Tumbocon (Umingan) and Roderick Mina (Villasis).

Carancho is the president of the Pangasinan Councilors League and is an ex-officio member of the provincial board, while the rest are re-electionists.

All candidates for the eight council seats in the towns of Sto. Tomas and Mapandan are also unopposed.

Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. of Pangasinan’s fourth district, used to have opponents who, political observers say, posed no threat to his bid. But his rivals later withdrew their candidacies.

This is the second time De Venecia is running unopposed. The first was in 1995, and the second in 2001 when he got 95 percent of the total votes in his district, the highest margin ever garnered by a local candidate.

Fifth district Rep. Mark Cojuangco, who is seeking his second term, is also unopposed. He is the son of business tycoon Eduardo Cojuangco. The Cojuangcos own the Northern Cement Corp. in Sison town.

Unopposed board members are Emmanuel Carancho and Dionisio Villar Jr., both of the fifth district, and Marlyn Primicias-Agabas and Robert Estrella, both of the sixth district.

Lawyer Reddy Balarbar, election registrar of San Carlos City and acting Commission on Elections (Comelec) provincial supervisor, told The STAR that the reason why no one dared to fight these candidates is that "they did their assignments well."

He said it is hard to challenge an incumbent who has performed his job well.

Balarbar added though that others might have wanted to pit themselves against these bets but they lacked a strong political machinery to back up their possible candidacies.

Most of these incumbents are candidates of the administration party and are seeking either their second or third terms, he said.

"One vote is all they need. It will just be a formality for their proclamation after the certificate of canvass and proclamation of the board of canvassers is done," he said.