Pangasinan gov’s lawyer dismisses DQ case

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan , Philippines   â€“ “Groundless.”

This was how lawyer John Bigay, legal counsel of Gov. Amado Espino Jr., described the reported disqualification case filed against his client and first district Rep. Jesus Celeste before the Commission on Elections.

In his disqualification petition, lawyer Bodie Pulido, the Liberal Party’s bet in the first district congressional race, alleged that two of his supporters were taken by men aboard a tricycle while giving out leaflets in Barangay Napunit, Infanta town.

Pulido said his supporters were brought to the town hall where Espino and Celeste allegedly confronted them on who were paying them to distribute the campaign materials.

Bigay, however, said Pulido’s followers were giving out black propaganda materials against Espino to people attending a campaign rally organized by the governor’s camp.

He said Espino’s supporters merely reacted and brought them to the police for investigation.    

“That does not constitute any violation of election laws,” Bigay said. “On the other hand, distributing unlawful campaign materials like those taken from Pulido’s campaigners constitutes an election offense.”

Meanwhile, results of a province-wide survey by Quezon City-based Data Advisors Inc. showed Espino leading with 78.5 percent over the 21.1 percent of his LP rival, Alaminos City Mayor Hernani Braganza.

Espino’s lead of 57.4 percentage points translates to about 690,000 votes, said Marlon Valencia, a political analyst of Data Advisors, which was commissioned by David Sanchez, owner of Star World Hotel in Baguio City who is keen on investing in Pangasinan.