Incumbent Governor Amado Espino III and incumbent fifth district Rep. Ramon Guico III filed their certificates of candidacy (COC) for the gubernatorial post on Thursday at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) provincial office here.

“In feng shui and lunar calendar, seven is a good number. We respect the elderly that’s why we arrive early here. I asked my companions that we go to the Comelec early as we still have work to do,” Espino said in an interview in Filipino.

Espino’s group is running under the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) and the new regional party Abante Pangasinan Ilocano.

Espino is running for a third term in office. His running mate for vice governor is incumbent second district board member Nestor Reyes.

Others who filed for board members are reelectionist Margielou Orange Humilde-Verzosa and Bani municipal councilor Richard Camba (1st district); lawyer Haidee Pacheco and Randall Bernal (2nd district); Dr. Sheila Marie Baniqued and Raymund Camacho (3rd district); Dr. Jerry Agerico Rosario and San Fabian Vice Mayor Marinor de Guzman (4th District); reelectionist board members Rosary Gracia Tababa and Nicholi Jan Louie Sison (5th District); and board members Salvador Perez, Jr. and Noel Bince (6th District).

Guico will challenge Espino in next year’s elections under the Nacionalista Party (NP) with incumbent Vice Governor Mark Lambino as his running mate for the vice governor post. They call themselves Alyansang Guico-Lambino (AGuiLa).

Lambino is running for a second term under Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD).

Among their teammates who already filed their COCs are former Alaminos City Mayor Arthur Celeste who will run for Congress at the first district of Pangasinan, a position he held for three terms; and incumbent Alaminos councilor Apolonia ‘Apol’ Bacay for board member -1st district (NP); and Rebecca Saldivar for board member -6th district  (NP).

The other members of Team AGuiLa will file their COCs on October 8, the last day of filing.

Aside from Espino and Guico, a retired policeman, Rolando Jimenez of Bautista town, has filed his COC for the gubernatorial post.

Meanwhile, incumbent second district Rep. Jumel Anthony Espino also filed his COC, as well as former board member Clemente Arboleda Jr. who is eyeing the 5th congressional representative.