• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Lakas-CMD, headed by House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, is supporting the candidacies of six mayoral candidates and the reelection bid of 5th District Rep. Emilio Bernardino Yulo in Negros Occidental.
This was confirmed by Abang Lingkod Partylist Rep. Stephen Joseph Paduano, who is helping organize the political party in the province.
They are supporting the candidacies of lawyer Rowena Lizares in Talisay City, Mark Golez in Silay City, Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran in Bacolod City, Miguel Angelo Yulo in Isabela, Añejo Nicor in La Castellana, and the reelection bid of Cadiz City Mayor Salvador Escalante Jr.
Yulo, who is seeking a second term, is being challenged by Board Member Anthony Dennis Occeño, provincial chairman of Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) in Negros Occidental.
While he thanked the support of the Lakas-CMD national directorate, Yulo said that what is important is the endorsement of the people during the May 12 elections.
Paduano said that Yulo, Lizares, Familiaran, and Escalante attended the Lakas-CMD national meeting in Metro Manila April 22.
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, a member of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), and Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Benitez earlier expressed their support to the congressional bid of Occeño.
Lacson and Benitez are also leaders of the Love Negros political group.
While he respects the position of Lacson to support Occeño, Paduano said he has no idea whether other members of Love Negros were consulted on the endorsement.
“Usually, it is the prerogative of the highest elected official in the province, whom to support,” he added.
The NPC, Lakas-CMD, National Unity Party, and Nacionalista Party have established an alliance with the PFP, led by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., to support the administration’s Alyansa ng Bagong Pilipinas senatorial candidates.
In Bacolod City, Familiaran of Lakas-CMD and Lone District Rep. Greg Gasataya of NPC are vying for mayor. | GB
