• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Some members of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) and Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) have transferred to other political parties as the filing of certificate of candidacy (COC) for the May 2025 midterm elections started yesterday.
Bago City Mayor Nicholas Yulo confirmed that he and Vice Mayor Ramon Torres resigned from the NPC, the political party they are affiliated with for more than two decades.
The NPC has fielded a candidate to challenge Vice Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer, whom they support, in the Fourth District congressional race in the person of Lea Delfinado, former regional director of the Department of Public Works and Highways-Western Visayas.
Yulo and Torres, who had been members of the NPC for 20 years and 33 years, respectively, have joined Ferrer in the National Unity Party (NUP) instead.
Aside from being a member of the NUP, Ferrer is also the president of United Negros Alliance (UNegA), which has coalesced with Love Negros since the 2019 elections.
There is supposed to be an alliance between NUP, NPC and other national political parties yet they decided to field and give a certificate of nomination and acceptance to the opponent of Ferrer, Yulo said.
Other members of NPC in Negros Occidental are Reps. Mercedes Alvarez of the Sixth District and Gerardo Valmayor Jr. of the First District as well as Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and several mayors.
The UNegA and Love Negros coalition earlier gave their full support to the congressional bid of Ferrer.
Meanwhile, former Silay City Mayor Mark Golez and his running mate, Councilor Ryan Gamboa, who recently took their oath as PFP members, moved to Lakas CMD of Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.
Golez is challenging incumbent Mayor Joedith Gallego, who is a member of PFP.
Before transferring to Lakas CMD, Golez said they sought permission from former Third District Rep. Jose Francisco Benitez and Victorias City Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez, who are also part of the PFP.
Golez said he believes that Lakas CMD is well suited for his vision and mission for Silay City.
Yulo, who is on his last term as mayor of Bago City, filed his COC for board member of the Fourth District.
Also filing a COC for the same post was Paula Alonso Valderrama, daughter of Fourth District Board Member Jose Benito Alonso, who is running for vice governor. | GB
