- MITCH M. LIPA
The 178 members of the United Negros Alliance remembered their fallen comrade, former EB Magalona mayor David Albert Lacson, who succumbed to COVID-19 Dec. 3.
The UNegA members held an assembly Dec. 4, and took a moment of silence to pray for and remember Lacson, who also served as board member of the 3rd District in the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Negros Occidental.
Party president, Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer, said Lacson was a stalwart and one of the pillars when UNegA was formed by then governor Alfredo Marañon Jr.
He said he told Lacson on Nov. 30 that he was one of the original members invited to attend the gathering, and advised him to seek medical consultation because of his cough and hoarse voice.
UNegA secretary general, Mayor Salvador Escalante of Cadiz City, said they lost a leader, who had shown true loyalty.
The members also approved a resolution during the assembly at the Bago City Coliseum expressing their sympathy and condolences to the family of Lacson.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, who attended the assembly, meanwhile, congratulated all the mayors for their support and cooperation during the three-day national vaccination drive.
He said the cities of Bago, Cadiz, Himamaylan, and Sagay, whose mayors are members of UNegA, have high vaccination outputs, and contributed a lot to the performance of Negros Occidental in surpassing its vaccination target by 132 percent.
Lacson also called on local chief executives to lead in the vaccination drive and prepare for another round of vaccination activities on Dec. 15 to 17.
He reminded the group that the COVID virus still exists and compliance with health protocols is very important in every activity, especially this holiday season.
“There are now more chances to go out since we are at Level 2, more people allowed to go to the malls and restaurants. But always remember that COVID is still in control, and when it mutates, nothing can stop it, so let’s remind our constituents to always comply with minimum health protocols,” Lacson said.
He noted that in Europe, another surge of COVID cases is happening because residents there disregarded the importance of face masks, and other health guidelines. — MML
