Disqualification case filed vs governor, congressman

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, Philippines – A disqualification case has been filed against Pangasinan Gov. Amado Espino Jr. and first district Rep. Jesus “Boying” Celeste for allegedly detaining the supporters of a rival candidate and preventing them from distributing his campaign materials.

Lawyer Bodie Pulido, who is running for congressman in the first district of Pangasinan, said in his complaint filed before the Commission on Elections that Espino and Celeste used force and intimidation to harass his supporters last April 2.

Pulido said his supporters Melvin Ancheta and Aljon Laderas were distributing campaign materials in Barangay Napunit in Infanta town when unidentified men on a tricycle confiscated their belongings and brought them to the Infanta Municipal Hall.

At the municipal hall, Espino and Celeste allegedly confronted Ancheta and Laderas and ordered responding policemen to arrest the two.

Meanwhile, Celeste told The STAR yesterday that he would file charges against Pulido after the elections. “We should have filed cases against him earlier when we discovered that his supporters were distributing black propaganda materials against us showing (photos) in a newspaper that we are behind bars,” he said.