• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
It is 99 percent sure that former Victorias City Mayor Francis Frederick Palanca will challenge incumbent Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson in the May 2025 gubernatorial race in Negros Occidental.
This was confirmed by Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) deputy secretary general for Visayas, lawyer Jesus Hinlo Jr. yesterday.
“For me it’s 99 percent, but the one percent will be answered by him (Palanca) when he says in public that he will run for governor,” Hinlo said.
When he was the mayor of Victorias City, Palanca affiliated with Love Negros, where Lacson also belongs to.
Early this year, Palanca took his oath as PDP member in Cebu.
Hinlo said that it is possible Palanca will join the gubernatorial contest without a runningmate.
“But we will ally ourselves with those who will not support Governor Bong,” he added.
Lacson and his runningmate, Fourth District Board Member Jose Benito Alonso, are being supported by the Love Negros and United Negros Alliance coalition.
Hinlo also said that former Hinobaan mayor Ernesto Estrao will run against incumbent Rep. Mercedes Alvarez in the Sixth District.
“If we cannot have PDP candidates in other areas, we can have alliances, even if they belong to other political parties,” he said.
In Bacolod City, the PDP may not field candidates but would be open for talks for alliance with any candidate.
He said that he will sign the certificate of nomination and acceptance of PDP candidates in Negros Island Region.
If approved by the party, Hinlo said that he would be available for the senatorial race, noting that Negros Occidental had its last senator in the person of Oscar Ledesma in 1963.
“If we keep on dividing ourselves, we will only be supporting candidates who are from other areas,” he added. | GB
