The United Negros Alliance will remain as a provincial-based political party and will not endorse any national candidate, Cadiz City Mayor Salvador Escalante, who is the UNegA secretary general, said.
While several mayors affiliated with UNegA already individually pledged support to the UniTeam tandem of Bongbong Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte-Carpio, Escalante said the UNegA party has no common candidate for president and vice president.
He added that in the 2nd District, where Cadiz City belongs, incumbent officials are free to choose the national candidates to support.
Escalante said that 2nd District Rep. Rafael Cueva, who is running for vice mayor, has declared his support for Vice President Leni Robredo for president and Mayor Alfredo Marañon III for congressman.
Mayor Manuel Escalante of Manapla, who joined the 27 other Negros Occidental mayors in a meeting Feb. 23 with Marcos Jr. and Duterte-Carpio in Bacolod City, was there on the invitation of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the Cadiz mayor said.
He added that presidential candidate Isko Moreno of Aksyon Demokratiko is scheduled to visit Cadiz City on March 9, and members of his team have already coordinated with his office for a pocket rally.
“Cadiz is open to all presidential candidates. If Leni wants to visit Cadiz, I am willing to host her,” Escalante said, adding that his wife and children are supporting Robredo.
“I am the only one in our family who remains undecided,” Escalante said.
For vice president, he said he will support the candidacy of Duterte-Carpio, citing the numerous projects implemented in Cadiz by the Duterte administration.
“Supporting Sara is our way of showing our gratitude to the President,” Escalante said./MML
