BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The coalition between United Negros Alliance and Love Negros remains strong, reiterated UNegA secretary general Cadiz City Mayor Salvador Escalante Jr.
Members of UNegA and Love Negros are split over the presidential candidates they will be supporting in the May 9 elections.
While some UNegA leaders in the 2nd district expressed their support to the presidential bid of Vice President Leni Robredo, local party president Vice Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer is the campaign leader of rival presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
UNEGA, as a provincial party remains committed to our provincial slate, Escalante said.
Escalante, Sagay City Mayor Alfredo Marañon III and Rep. Rafael Leo Cueva (2nd district, Negros Occ), openly endorsed the tandem of Robredo and Senator Francis Pangilinan during the Robredo’s campaign rally in Sagay City on March 11.
The endorsement of leaders in the district were significant as they all belong to the UNegA with Escalante as secretary- general and Marañon as chairman.
On the other hand, the political leaders of the 1st district of Negros occidental, majority affiliated with Love Negros, have expressed their support to the Marcos-Duterte tandem, except for Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacsonwho is supporting Robredo.
A total of 28 of the 31 mayors in the province led by Ferrer committed to back Marcos and his running mate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio at a meeting early this month.
Lacson and Ferrer earlier gave an assurance the coalition of Love Negros and UNegA will remain “solid and strong,” despite supporting rival presidential candidates.
“We will respect each other’s choices as well as of the mayors in the province,” they said. Escalante added that UNegA is committed to support Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, Ferrer and down to the last Sanggunian Bayan.*
