LINGAYEN – The father and son tandem of the Espinos proved to be unbeatable as they trounced the seemingly invincible Cojuangco couple in the May 9 elections here in Pangasinan.
Outgoing provincial board member and Governor-elect Amado “Pogi” I. Espino, III garnered 736,909 votes for the gubernatorial race as he defeated his rival, former congressman Mark Cojuangco who received 513,897 votes with a difference of 223,012 votes.
Outgoing Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr. who got 133,381 votes defeated his opponent, outgoing congresswoman Kimi Cojuangco who settled for 92,943 votes in the congressional race for fifth district, a known bailiwick of the Cojuangcos.
Both the father and son Espinos had an identical 59 percentage of votes that sealed their victory over the Cojuangcos who both posted only 41 percent of the total votes counted.
The young Espino won convincingly in all the congressional districts of Pangasinan — except in the first district — despite the well-oiled machinery, political leaders and religious-sect support and the alleged massive vote-buying activities of the Cojuangcos.
In the second district, the governor-elect outnumbered Cojuangco by more than 60,910 votes after he posted 136,767 votes, while Cojuangco bagged only 75,857 votes. The young Espino won in seven towns of the second district except in Binmaley.
In the third and fourth districts comprising a total of 10 towns, the young Espino made a clean sweep garnering a lead difference of 81,635 in the third district and 29,692 in the fourth district.
Still gaining the biggest number of votes, Governor-Elect Espino also toppled Cojuangco in most number of towns in the fifth and sixth districts with Cojuangco edging him in just two municipalities per district.
Governor-elect Espino clobbered Cojuangco in the fifth district by gaining 129,257 votes over 71,520 with a difference of 57,737 in favor of Espino.
In the sixth district, Governor-elect Espino received 114,412 votes over Cojuangco’s 93,079 with a difference of 21,333 votes.
Based on election results, Governor-elect Pogi gained the upperhand right in the hometown of Cojuangco’s running mate, Mark Roy Macanlalay, Calasiao outgoing mayor, where the outgoing board member garnered 27,286 votes beating Cojuangco who settled with only 16, 640 votes.
In San Carlos City, the young Espino had an avalanche of votes posting 54,514 against Cojuangco who only got 21,473 votes. The non-support of Resuello brothers to BM Pogi made no significant dent on the latter’s candidacy after San Carlenians gave Espino a lead of 33,041 votes over Cojuangco.
On the other hand, the all-out support of prominent political leaders from fourth to sixth districts namely the De Venecias, Perezes, and the Estrellas failed to convince the people of Pangasinan from their respective turf to support Cojuangco’s ambition.
Meanwhile, the outgoing provincial chief executive who garnered 133,381 ended Cojuangco’s reign in the fifth district as he toppled down re-electionist Cong. Kimi Cojuangco who got only 92,943 votes, or a difference of more than 40,438 votes in favor of the elder Espino.
Surprisingly, in Urdaneta City, the supposedly bailiwick of Ambassador and MECO Chairman Amadito Perez, Jr., who was the number one supporter of the Cojuangcos, the father-and-son Espino tandem also knocked-out the powerful power couple.
The elder Espino got 33,763 votes for congressman in Urdaneta City against 20,972 votes for outgoing Congresswoman Cojuangco with a difference of 12,791 votes while BM Pogi Espino had 33,227 votes compared with the 20,612 votes for Mark Cojuangco with a difference of 12,615 votes.
Political observers from Manila said that the 2016 gubernatorial elections in Pangasinan is one of the biggest upsets in the political history of the country as a young provincial board member, like David who slew Goliath, defeated the son of the country’s multi-billionaire business tycoon and founder of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, the second biggest political party in the country.
Local observers believe that the Espinos won via landslide because of their sterling performance, integrity and love for Pangasinan. (Merly R. Tibalao and AJV)