Negros Occidental Board Member Ryan Gamboa yesterday said he respects the decision of Love Negros and the United Negros Alliance (UNegA) to field La Carlota City Councilor Julius Martin Asistio as the coalition candidate for president of the Philippine Councilors League-Negros Occidental chapter.
“I will abide by the decision of the coalition,” Gamboa, who is the number one councilor of Silay City, said. He sits as ex-officio member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, representing PCL- Negros Occidental.
“Now that they have made another decision, I am willing to step back and then whatever I can do as vice president of PCL,” Gamboa said.
He added that they will finalize the official lineup of the coalition within this week. However, he said “we cannot stop anyone, especially the independents, to also run during the PCL election on August 22”.
Asked if he was hurt by the decision of the coalition, Gamboa said, “I was happy and very blessed because in 2019, I was chosen to lead PCL. I did not know much about PCL when I started because I only want to be a councilor in Silay City,” he said.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, who is affiliated with Love Negros, earlier said he wanted to avoid any clashes during the PCL elections.
He and Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer, who is the UnegA president, ran under the local coalition during the 2019 and 2022 elections./GB
