|
By Francis Earl A. Cueto and
Maricel V. Cruz Reporters
THE Genuine Opposition on Monday
alleged that Speaker Jose de Venecia is on a “vote-buying spree”
in Pangasinan to ensure his reelection victory.
Adel Tamano, spokesman for GO,
dubbed the alleged vote-buying move of de Venecia as
“desperate.” Quoting incumbent Dagupan City Mayor Benjie Lim,
the opposition’s candidate against the Speaker, Tamano said “JdV
buying spree has been distributing P30,000 each to barangay
captains, P5,000 each to barangay councilmen, P100,000 worth of
insurance to barangay tanods and health workers and P1,000 each to
all government employees in various towns including teachers who
would be members of the board of election officers come May 14,
2007.”
Tamano added that according to
Lim, a certain “Serafica” was allegedly the bag lady of
JdV’s vote buying operations. She allegedly asked principals to
line up at her office to obtain the money for their teachers.
De Venecia vehemently denied Adel
Tamano and Lim’s allegations against him.
“That’s a lie . . . There is
no truth to that,” de Venecia said, noting he has no need to
engage in these “dirty tactics” because he still enjoys the
support of his constituents.
“Etong congressional race dito
[Pangasinan] tapos na and eleksyon,” de Venecia remarked.
De Venecia supporter Jack Castańeda,
former energy board commissioner, said he will file disqualification
charges with Comelec versus Bennie Lim and his son Brian Lim, who is
running for mayor, “for paying barangay officials and thousands of
households so these would go against Speaker de Venecia.”
|
