DAGUPAN CITY – Two days after he was unseated after long years of reign as Speaker of the House of Representatives, Congressman Jose de Venecia, Jr. of the fourth district of Pangasinan declared he is now a free man who just won his freedom.
“I now feel free from the clutches of Malacañang, free from what you call freedom from fear, freedom from stress, freedom from too many problems and freedom from anxiety,” he said in an early morning patch phone interview over the radio from his Makati City residence.
Congresman De Venecia said he thanked the Lord and the Blessed Virgin of Manaoag (Pangasinan) for making him feel exhilarated, adding that he now feels well because many problems of the nation were removed from him.
After the nominal voting in the House of Representatives where 174 congressmen, 56 of them from his own Lakas Christian Muslim Democrats, voted for his ouster, he said he now feels stronger and relieved of all the pressures attendant to he position of Speaker. Read more
DAGUPAN CITY – An official of Dagupan City said the ouster of Congressman Jose de Venecia, Jr. as speaker of the House of Representatives saddened many Pangasinenses, especially those in the fourth district of Pangasinan.
Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, one of the closest allies here on the former Speaker, believes that De Venecia’s ouster was a big blow to the whole province of Pangasinan that benefited much from his caring hands.
She said the former Speaker was the one who was bringing home significant projects that were not only meant for his own district but the whole of Pangasinan.
“We owe it to him all these projects that we now see in Pangasinan, like roads, bridges, school buildings, municipal halls, gymnasiums, water systems and others,” Fernandez said.
However, the Pangasinan conceded they cannot do anything because they know too well that it is the majority of congressmen that chooses the Speaker, Fernandez said.
De Venecia held the position of Speaker from 1992 to 1998 and from 2001 to February 4, 2008 for an unprecedented five terms.
The vice mayor of Dagupan City also expressed confidence that the pet project of the congressman – the P1.2 billion Dawel-Lucao-Road, including a bridge component in the middle, will be completed though De Venecia is no longer the House Speaker.
The project is now about 95 per cent complete with its inauguration set sometime in March or early April this year.
Fernandez however expressed strong belief that there is still hope that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and de Venecia can still reconcile soon for the good of the country and people.
Mayor Hernani A. Braganza was sworn for the third time as Mayor of this young and very peaceful city in a simple Thanksgiving Mass and path-taking rites held at the Don Leopoldo Sison Auditorium last Friday.
With him in this memorable occasion were his very supportive wife-Madam Stella and cute kids Pedro Luis and Patricia Isabel, her sister-councilor Ma. Angela and trusted family friend, Dr. Elena Barcelona.
Judge Elpidio Abella, presiding Judge of RTC Branch 55, administered the oath of office of all the newly elected city officials.
While, Rev. Rendrix Rabago, officiated an early mass and went on to share some of God’s words even as he reminded the leaders of their sworn duties and responsibilities to their constituents.
Mayor Braganza, who is turning 43 this August 7, is now on his second straight term as head of the city. Read more
LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – Fresh hopes are in store for the province of Pangasian and its 1.5 million inhabitants with the assumption of office last Saturday of Amado Espino, Jr. as governor of the province for the next three years.
A two-time congressman of the second district of Pangasinan, Espino is the first former military and police officer in modern times to become governor of Pangasinan.
The first of course was Vicente Prado from San Jacinto who was appointed first as military-politico government of Pangasinan in 1898 but replaced a year later by his second in command, Juan Quesada from Dagupan and another Katipunero, Daniel Maramba from Sta. Barbara who reigned as governor from 1916 to 22.
Espino was a member of the Phiippine Military Academy Class of 1972 but left the police service before he can earn a star rank to respond to the more demanding challenge of public service.
On the eve of his formal assumption to office, Espino called on all Pangasinenses to help him build a better province, one that can equal with all the best in the entire country in all phases of undertakings. Read more
Cadaver of Abra mayor’s wife, a victim of political violence, arrives
BANGUED, Abra – The cadaver of the wife of a re-elected mayor of Abra, who was gunned down during the counting of votes here last May 17, arrived in Barangay Ubbog, Bangued, Abra fromManila last Tuesday.
Brenda Crisologo, wife of re-elected Tineg Mayor Edwin Crisologo, died last Monday in a hospital in Manila while being treated of the wounds she suffered during the May 17 attack.
Mrs. Crisologo sustained five gunshot wounds in her stomach and back after being shot by a certain Totoy Buyaw with the use of calibre 45 pistol.
At that time, she was watching the canvassing of election returns from Tineg town at the fourth floor of the Holy Spirit Academy Building in Bangued.
The canvassing of election returns was transferred to Bangued, the capital of Abra, due to security reasons.
The gunman was shot and killed by responding lawmen when he returned and refused to surrender.
Mrs. Crisologo was the 11th victim of political violence in Abra.
Mayor Crisologo, who was saddened by the death of his wife, said that Brenda’s remains will be buried in her birthplace in Barangay Nabbuan, Baay-Licuan, Abra. (PNA)
DAGUPAN CITY – All the 16 policemen of San Manuel town, including their chief, had been relieved as of Monday as an aftermath of the slaying last June 20 of that town’s Vice Mayor Bonie Apilado.
Supt. Ricardo Tamayo, deputy police provincial director for administration, told newsmen here on Thursday that Inspector Realito Rodriguez, chief of police, and all his men were replaced by members of the elite Provincial Mobile Group (PMG) and the Regional Mobile Group (RMG).
Rodriguez and his men were ordered to report to the Police Provincial Office in Lingayen for re-training. Read more
No lead yet in slaying of Pangasinan vice mayor
LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – Investigators are still facing a blank wall in connection with the slaying of outgoing San Manuel Vice Mayor Bonie Apilado, 35, and the wounding of his driver Ricardo Clemente, 24, along the Maharlika highway in barangay San Vicente in Urdaneta City on Wednesday afternoon.
However, investigation by members of Task Force Apilado formed by Police Provincial Director Senior Superintendent Isagani Nerez immediately after the slaying is still going on.
Members of the task force include those from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, the intelligence and investigation branch of the Pangasinan Police Office, the PNP Crime Laboratory and the Urdaneta City and San Manuel Police.
Investigation showed Vice Mayor Apilado was talking with an owner of a car aircon shop when a lone gunman approached from behind and opened fire. Read more
DAGUPAN CITY – The rainbow coalition in the House of Representatives will be revitalized, expanded and enlarged in the 14th Congress, according to House Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr.
De Venecia, smarting from his landslide victory in the fourth district of Pangasinan against Dagupan City Mayor Benjamin Lim, vowed to enlarge the coalition he first founded in 1992 and revived by him in 2001, in a patched phone interview by a radio station here from Manila on Thursday.
He made the statement barely two days after his victory for an unprecedented fifth term as Speaker of the House was sealed due to overwhelming support he just received from different political parties that coalesced with the administration. Read more
LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – It’s a family affair in some local government units in Pangasinan once the newly elected and reelected officials assume office on July 1.
This is because of the election of relatives by the electorate in the May 14 election despite the still unsettled issue on political dynasty.
In the May 14 election, two father and son tandems came out to rule their respective municipalities for the next three years. Read more
SAN CARLOS CITY, Pangasinan – The first peace covenant to be mediated by the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Pangasinan will hopefully be among prospective local candidates here.
Mayor Julian Resuello, in a talk during the ‘Talakayan sa Isyung Pulis’ (TSIP) at the city hall here recently, said he is amenable to sign a peace pact with other candidates here, only to ease a possible election tension.
Resuello was challenged to sign a peace pact with the other prospective candidates by Police Regional Director Chief Superintendent Leopoldo Bataoil as San Carlos was listed by both the PNP and the Commission on Elections as among three areas of immediate concern (AIC) in the province.
“Let’s take it from the statement of the mayor that they will support the peace and are willing to sign a covenant with other prospective candidates just to ensure that there would be peace during the election,” Bataoil said.
Now on his third and last term of office, Resuello will run for vice mayor in the coming election with his son, incumbent Vice Mayor Julier Resuello, gunning for the mayorship. Read more
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