Isabela’s Dys vow sweep for PPC bets

SAN MANUEL, Isabela — One of the closest political supporters of former President Joseph Estrada vowed to deliver a clean sweep for the senatorial bets of the People Power Coalition (PPC) during President Arroyo’s visit here yesterday.

Second district Rep. Faustino Dy Jr. assured the President that this vote-rich province, a known Estrada bailiwick, will go for 13-0 in favor of the administration-backed PPC candidates.

Mrs. Arroyo, in return, ordered the Department of Budget and Management to immediately release P148 million for the rehabilitation of the 27-kilometer Gamu-Roxas road and other infrastructure, housing and electrification projects in the province.

Mrs. Arroyo delighted the crowd when she struggled to deliver her speech in the native dialect.

Besides campaigning, the President attended the birthday party of Dy, who is running for governor to succeed his brother, third-termer Gov. Benjamin Dy.

Dy made the pronouncement for a PPC sweep in the province before an estimated crowd of 50,000 who were transported here from as far as Cagayan, Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino.

The President’s visit was apparently meant to boost the sagging popularity of her senatorial bets in Cagayan Valley who are said to be lagging behind their rivals from Estrada’s Puwersa ng Masa.

Dy, one of the few remaining political allies of Estrada in the region, is the secretary general of the Nationalist People’s Coalition of former Ambassador Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco, a known political patron of Estrada.

The NPC and Lakas-NUCD have coalesced in the province and in most parts of Cagayan Valley.

The powerful Dy clan, which has managed to survive at least four administrations, has dominated Isabela politics since the 1960s, starting with their late patriarch, Faustino Sr., who served as governor for at least 25 years until his death in 1995.

With the President during her four-hour sortie here were senatorial aspirants former House Speaker Manny Villar, former Bulacan governor Roberto Pagdanganan, former television host Winnie Monsod and re-electionist Sen. Sergio Osmeña III.

Quirino Gov. Pedro Bacani, who was also present during the President’s visit, however, doubted the Dys’ ability to deliver a complete victory for the administration’s coalition party.

On the contrary, Bacani said the Puwersa ng Masa ticket may even get the majority of the votes. — Charlie Lagasca, Lito Salatan