‘Biskeg na Pangasinan’ moves to strengthen ranks

DAGUPAN CITY — Pangasinan leaders belonging to the Biskeg na Pangasinan (Strength of Pangasinan) party moved to strengthen their ranks by "cleansing and purging" its membership across the province.

In a board of directors’ meeting held at the Inn Asia last Saturday, the board agreed to adopt stricter measures in its membership so that "officials with good intentions and selfless interest," two of the most important values each member must possess, will be accepted as part of the political group comprised of local officials like board members, mayors, vice mayors and councilors.

Biskeg na Pangasinan founding president and chairman Undersecretary for Local Governance Antonio Villar Jr. said two lawyers who are part of the board of directors — Malasiqui Mayor Alfonso Soriano and San Fabian Mayor Mojamito Libunao Jr. — agreed to draft the policies and guidelines.

Biskeg has been recently accredited by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) as a local political party and is duly registered at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The group, which was formed in the late 1990s in Pangasinan’s third district as an informal group of mayors who support each other’s cause and fight under the guidance of Villar, then also a mayor, now has local chapters in 35 towns and three cities in Pangasinan, majority of which are headed by either the town mayor or vice mayor with councilors as officers.

It now has almost 400 members and still growing as many have signified intention to join the group, Vice Gov. Oscar Lambino, Biskeg secretary general, said during the meeting.

Also discussed during the meeting was the issue of Biskeg members who aspire for elective positions in 2007. Regardless of political affiliations, they may also use Biskeg as their supporting political banner like Lakas-Biskeg, NPC-Biskeg, LDP-Biskeg, among others.

Original and active Biskeg members will get to enjoy the equity of the incumbent policy on endorsement.

The board agreed that they should have a unified stand regarding endorsement of candidates aspiring for an elective position.

Immigration Commissioner Alipio Fernandez Jr., an adviser of the group and himself a former mayor of Dagupan City, suggested that during the general membership meeting to be held soon, there should be a presentation to the participants, which should be duly screened by the membership committee in accordance with the principles, policies, guidelines, goals and mission of the group.

Biskeg has proven its power when it supported several officials who vied for elective provincial positions like the Liga ng mga Barangay through board member Amadeo Espino, Sangguniang Kabataan through board member Jolly Resuello, Pangasinan Councilors League through former board member Charizzma Salud Carancho and incumbent board member Danilo Uy, Pangasinan Mayors’ League through Binalonan Mayor Ramon Guico Jr., and Vice Mayors’ League of Pangasinan through Dagupan City Vice Mayor Alvin Fernandez, among other local positions.

It also rallied behind the 2004 presidential bid of President Arroyo in Pangasinan that tremendously lowered the expected huge margin of votes of her closest political rival who also hailed from Pangasinan.