Twenty-eight of the 31 mayors of the towns and cities of Negros Occidental are supporting the tandem of presidential aspirant Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his running mate, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.
The 28 mayors met with Marcos Jr. and Duterte-Carpio Feb. 23, in a gathering arranged by Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer, a BBM staunch supporter, and also attended by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and several senatorial aspirants under the UniTeam banner.
Valladolid Mayor Enrique Miravalles, president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines Negros Occidental chapter, said that all the 19 municipal mayors are supporting the BBM-Sara tandem.
Miravalles said they already submitted to Ferrer their manifesto of support to the BBM-Sara tandem.
San Carlos City Mayor Renato Gustilo (NPC) said that the five mayors of the 1st District of Negros Occidental, including Rep. Gerardo Valmayor, and his predecessor, Julio Ledesma IV, have unanimously expressed their support to the BBM-Sara tandem.
The mayors of Sagay, Cadiz, and Sipalay were not in the meeting at a hotel in Bacolod, but Negros Occidental solons Valmayor (1st District), Rep. Jose Francisco Benitez (3rd District), Rep. Juliet Marie Ferrer (4th District), Rep. Marilou Arroyo (5th District), and Rep. Stephen Joseph Paduano of the Abang-Lingkod partylist group were there, aside from former solons Alfredo Benitez and Mercedes Alvarez.
Gustilo admitted that Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson (NPC) is supporting the presidential bid of Vice President Leni Robredo.
He said they have discussed their choice of presidential candidate with Lacson, who is also affiliated with NPC. “That is the beauty of us. We sit down and discuss whom we will support,” Gustilo stressed.
Meanwhile, when asked if she can give the Negros Occidental votes to the BBM-Sara tandem, former president Arroyo said, “I cannot give the votes. Negros Occidental is made up of very intelligent voters.”
“I bring them here so they can talk to the people,” said Arroyo, who was accompanied by her husband, Mike, and son, Pampanga Rep. Mikey Arroyo.
“My role is to introduce them to our supporters because Negros Occidental has always made my father win, and made me win by a big margin from the beginning,” Arroyo said.
Marcos Jr. is married to Liza Araneta, of Bago City, Negros Occidental. — GB
