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Monday, May 17, 2004
I won because of performance, not vote-buying: Agbayani
By Fred P. Macaraeg
PANGASINAN Gov. Victor E. Agbayani Sunday said his "overwhelming victory" against Marietta Primicias-Goco for the gubernatorial race "is not a victory of money but a victory of performance."
Proof of this, Agbayani said, was in 1998 when he was first elected governor, he won by 55 percent of the vote and in 2001, he won 75 percent of the vote.
Agbayani's lead in the 1998 gubernatorial race was about 100,000 votes over former Sen. Leticia Ramos-Shahani. In 2001, wherein former governor Cipriano Primicias, brother of Goco, challenged Agbayani's reelection bid, the governor by almost 400,000 votes.
"In this election, I believe our lead is about 775,000," he said.
As to accusations he is a part-time governor, Agbayani said there is no such thing as part-time governor because a part-time governor would not win in an election.
Agbayani issued the statement in response to a remark by Goco that he is a one-day governor because more often, he is only seen once a week in the province.
"She (Goco) has to understand the work of the governor which involves many things other than staying in his office. But I do not want to add fuel to the fire. I would like to reach out to her and offer a hand of friendship and reconciliation," he said.
Agbayani said on several occasions, he reached out to those who had opposed him so he urged the other candidates from the various municipalities to do the same, to reconcile with their opponents so that Pangasinan will be united again.
He said with his victory, he would continue his development programs, some of which would be strengthened. He cited the provincial tourism program, which "was not always the top priority because the top priority of the provincial administration had been agriculture and infrastructure."
Since 60 years had already been devoted to agriculture and infrastructure and the province has already enough gains in agriculture and infrastructure, the governor said the province would now attend to tourism.
The Provincial Government has started restoring the Capitol area, starting from the restoration of the Capitol building and the park and would then proceed to restoring Maramba Boulevard.
(May 17, 2004 issue)
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