• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Clashes among members of the United Negros Alliance (UNegA) in the towns of Moises Padilla and Binalbagan in Negros Occidental, appear to be unavoidable.
Cadiz City Mayor Salvador Escalante, UNegA secretary general, disclosed on Wednesday that both incumbent officials and members of UNegA, Vice Mayor Ian Villaflor is bent on challenging Mayor Ella Celestina Yulo Garcia in the Moises Padilla mayoralty race in the elections on May next year.
Escalante said former Mayor Emmanuel Aranda will also run against against incumbent Binalbagan Mayor Alejandro Mirasol, who is seeking reelection. Both are also UNEGA members.
Aranda was defeated by Mirasol in the 2022 Binalbagan mayoralty race.
As practiced by their group in the past elections, Escalante said the rule of equity of the incumbent will be applied.
In the wake of reports that Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer’s bid for the 4th district congressional seat will be challenged by Lea Delfinado, former regional director of the Department of Public Works and Highways in Western Visayas, Escalante said the full support of UNEgA will be extended to the vice governor.
Board Member Jose Benito Alonso, who represents 4th district of Negros Occidental in the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, has been endorsed to run for vice governor in the next year elections, in tandem with reelectionist Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson.*
