Marañon, Alvarez issue conflicting statements

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines  — The top two officials of the United Negros Alliance (UNA) could not agree with each other on the real purpose of the party’s scheduled meeting on August 30 in Manila.

Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr., chairman of UNA, said Wednesday the UNA meeting will just be a gathering of top officials, but Vice Governor Genaro Alvarez Jr., vice chairman of UNA, however said the meeting was intended to decide on the party’s gubernatorial bet in 2013.

UNA is an umbrella coalition of major national political parties, and composed mostly of incumbent Negros Occidental officials. Expected to attend the UNA meeting are Marañon, Alvarez, the six Negros Occidental congressmen, and Kabankalan City Mayor Isidro Zayco.

According to Alvarez, Zayco was recently appointed provincial chairman of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC). Zayco for his part said he officially received such designation last August 13.

Marañon said he will attend the Manila meeting, as he was informed by Zayco about it, but he admitted that he could not pre-empt what will transpire there or if the officials will talk about the choice for a gubernatorial bet.

Marañon however said UNA will hold a convention in September, to be attended by all members, from the governor, vice governor, Provincial Board members and congressmen, down to the mayors and councilors.

For his part, Zayco said the UNA meeting in Manila is expected to decide who will be its standard bearer in the province for the 2013 elections.

All three officials however said they do not know yet on who will preside over the meeting, although the usual practice in the past was that it was former ambassador Danding Cojuangco, Jr., founder and chairman emeritus of both the UNA and NPC, who presides over it.

Alvarez said the purpose of the meeting is to thresh out the issues within UNA. Reports said there is a rift in the party and it is caused by the possible “battle royale” between him and Marañon for the gubernatorial post in 2013.

Marañon has declared his intention to seek reelection, while Alvarez said the NPC mayors are endorsing him to run for governor next year, although he has not signified yet if he is running for the post or not.

Alvarez said he hoped the August 30 meeting will resolve the perceived conflict within the party, or it will be useless. “We hope to preserve the unity in UNA,” he said.

Sources said that to avoid the conflict between Marañon and Alvarez, UNA may field Zayco as its standard bearer instead. When asked for comment, Zayco, who had served as governor before Marañon, said he has already decided that he will seek reelection as mayor of Kabankalan in 2013.

Alvarez earlier said UNA will observe the usual formal selection process in choosing its candidates, adding that it will be the six congressmen who will decide on the gubernatorial candidate, and the chosen one will in turn decide on his vice governor.

The congressmen will decide on their respective mayors, while the mayors will decide on their respective vice mayors and councilors.

Both Alvarez and Marañon had reiterated that they will abide by the decision of the party, and they have denied any rift between the two of them.