In Pangasinan, dynasties are still vying for control in 2025

DAGUPAN, Philippines – From October 1 to 8, a total of 1,147 aspirants in the province of Pangasinan submitted their certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the 2025 midterm elections.

Majority of these big guns come from dynasties — political families who, in one way or another, have been elected to various political posts.

For the gubernatorial race, a rematch is set between incumbent Governor Ramon Guico III and former governor Amado Espino III. Guico filed his COC on October 2, while Espino filed on October 5. No other gubernatorial aspirant filed.

Espino’s father, also former governor and Pangasinan representative Amado Espino Jr., filed his COC as first nominee of party-list group Abante Pangasinan-Ilokano.

Meanwhile, incumbent Vice Governor Mark Ronald Lambino, who is allied with Guico, and former Dasol mayor Noel Nacar, who is allied with the Espinos, are vying for the vice governor position.

Among the aspirants, 11 individuals filed their COCs for congressional seats across the six districts of Pangasinan. Notable matchups include:

• 1st district: Incumbent Representative Arthur Celeste is unopposed.
  
• 2nd district: Incumbent Representative Mark Cojuangco is set to dish out against incumbent Lingayen Mayor Leopoldo Bataoil. Bataoil forfeited his chance for a third term as mayor in order to challenge Cojuangco, who won over former representative Jumel Espino in the 2022 elections. Espino is set to run as Bugallon mayor, as his mother, incumbent Bugallon Mayor Priscilla Espino, is set to retire after three terms.
  
• 3rd district: It is a three-way battle among incumbent Representative Rachel Arenas, former congressman Generoso Tulagan Sr., who was last elected to the said post in 2004, and engineer George Absolor.
  
• 4th district: Former representative Gina de Venecia is making a comeback attempt against former Dagupan City vice mayor Alvin Fernandez. De Venecia hopes to replace son Cristopher, who will be finishing his third term soon. Fernandez has challenged the De Venecias in previous elections but failed.
  
• 5th district: Incumbent Representative Ramon Guico Jr. and incumbent Urdaneta City Councilor Franco Paolo del Prado will battle it out over control of the 5th district.
  
• 6th district: Incumbent Representative Marlyn Primicias-Agabas and Gilbert Estrella, son of Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III, are contenders.

Twenty-five aspirants filed their COCs for provincial board positions. These include:

• 1st district: Ricky Camba, ally of the Espinos, will be gunning for a seat as bokal (Pangasinan term for the provincial board member) against Guico-affiliated incumbents Napoleon Fontelera Jr. and Aplonia Bacay.
• 2nd district: Former bokal Nestor “Nikkiboy” Reyes stages a comeback against incumbents Philip Theodore Cruz and Haidee Pacheco. This becomes a five-way struggle as independents Manuel Merrera and Marcelino Fernandez III filed their COCs.
• 3rd district: Another Espino ally, former Calasiao mayor Joseph Arman Bauzon, is set to compete with incumbents Shiela Baniqued and Vici Ventanilla. Another candidate, Eduardo Gonzales, is making his fourth attempt for a provincial council seat.
• 4th district: Mangaldan three-termer Councilor Aldrin Soriano is also in a three-way match against incumbents Jerry Agerico Rosario and Marinor de Guzman, who are both under the Guico-allied Nacionalista Party. Soriano, a former ABS-CBN reporter, substituted for his father, who unexpectedly died during the final leg of the 2016 campaign.
• 5th district: The battle for control over the home district of the Espinos and Guicos is intense, as it is a two-versus-two battle. Espino candidates Hero Sumera and Rosalina Apaga will take on incumbent Nicholi Jan Louie Sison. Sison’s ally, Jesus Basco, will be taking the place of incumbent Chinkee Perez-Tababa.
• 6th district: Six individuals are vying for two seats in the provincial council. No incumbent is vying for reelection. Contenders are former San Nicolas mayor Rebecca Saldivar, San Manuel Councilor Sheila Marie Perez, independent Walter Aquino, Noel Bince Jr. (son of outgoing Board Member Noel Bince), former Rosales mayor Ricardo Revita, and former board member Ranjit Shahani.

Other local races

Meanwhile, 101 individuals are running for mayor, 103 for vice mayor, 79 for city council seats, and 824 for municipal boards.

Notable among these are incumbent Dagupan City Mayor Belen Fernandez and nephew, incumbent Vice Mayor Bryan Kua, who will be facing against the mother-son tandem of incumbent Dagupan City Councilor Celia Lim and former mayor Marc Brian Lim for city mayor and vice mayor, respectively.

In Urdaneta City, incumbent Mayor Julio “Rammy” Parayno III is set to defend his post against Maan Tuzaon-Guico, wife of Governor Guico. Maan transferred residency from Binalonan to adjacent Urdaneta City to challenge Parayno. Maan’s running mate, outgoing 5th district Board Member Rosary “Chinky” Perez-Tababa, will face off against Parayno’s brother Jimmy, who is gunning for another term as vice mayor.

Former PBA superstar Danny “Lakay” Ildefonso is also running as councilor in Urdaneta City under the Guicos’ banner.

In San Carlos City, Mayor Julier “Ayoy” Resuello and half-brother Vice Mayor Joseres are seeking reelection in the same positions. They will be running under the Guicos’ Nacionalista Party. The brothers will face off against incumbent San Carlos City Councilor Lester Soriano and Jonathan Lomboy. Soriano is the son of former San Carlos mayor Douglas Soriano and grandson of former congressman Jack Laureano Soriano.

In Alaminos City, incumbent Mayor Arth Bryan Celeste is teaming up with Anton Perez.

In Sual, controversial incumbent Mayor Liseldo “Dong” Calugay filed his COC for a final term. He, along with ally Maximo Millan, will face off against Celeste scion Arthur Jr. and incumbent Vice Mayor JC Arcinue. Arcinue is also a scion of the Arcinue clan, who once took control of Sual town.

Both Arth Bryan and Arthur Jr. are sons of 1st District Representative Arthur Celeste.

Commission on Elections Pangasinan Election Supervisor Ericson Oganiza said the COCs they received during filing week still need to be processed. A tentative list of candidates will be released on October 29, followed by the official list.

While aspirants have the option to withdraw their candidacies at any time, substitutions are no longer allowed.

Oganiza added that beginning October 14, the election board will begin processing voter registrations from July to September. – Rappler.com