Immigration chief eyes run for Dagupan City mayor

The Bureau of Immigration may face a leadership vacuum later this month as commissioner Alipio Fernandez Jr. is reportedly planning to run for mayor of Dagupan City in Pangasinan province. Sun-Star Pangasinan (www.sunstar.com.ph) reported Tuesday that Fernandez is planning to get back the mayoralty post he once occupied for three consecutive terms in Dagupan City. “I have no quarrel with Dagupan Mayor (Benjamin) Lim, we are friends. But it’s the call of the time(s)," Alipio said during a fellowship night in Dagupan City Sunday. He said he will resign as immigration chief this week and will file his certificate of candidacy on March 27. Alipio’s team will be up against the lineup to be formed by Lim who will be running for congressman in Pangasinan’s fourth district, wherein he would face de Venecia. Earlier reports said the mayor’s son, Marc Brian, would run for the post to be vacated by his father. University of Luzon (UL) president MacArthur Samson announced Fernandez’s mayoralty bid during the fellowship night at the Inn Asia in Dagupan City last Sunday. Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) president and House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. was the guest speaker in that event. Aside from Fernandez, de Venecia also endorsed the candidacy of former Dagupan councilor Belen Fernandez as the immigration chief’s running mate. Belen is the president of the CSI Group of Companies that is composed mainly of Chinese-Filipino businessmen in Dagupan City. Councilors Luis Chito Samson, Farah Marie Decano, Librada Fe Reyna, Michael Fernandez, Alex de Venecia, Joey Tamayo and Danilo Torio will seek reelection under Alipio’s team. Joining the team are Region 1 Medical Center (R1MC) director Jesus Canto, Judge George Mejia, and Alipio’s eldest son Serafin. Dagupan Vice Mayor Alvin Fernandez, another son of Alipio, will be the campaign manager of the team while Councilor Jojo Guadiz will be the assistant campaign manager. Alipio entered politics in 1971 as councilor of Dagupan when he was then 27 years old. He had been top as councilor until he became Dagupan vice mayor and later on mayor. He served as president of the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) and Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (Ulap) and worked for the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) prior to his current assignment to the Bureau of Immigration (BI). - GMANews.TV