Danding says: Endorsement of Alvarez for gov is majority decision

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines  — Former ambassador Danding Cojuangco said his endorsement of Negros Occidental Vice Governor Genaro Alvarez Jr. as the party’s bet for governor in the 2013 elections was a result of the NPC meeting in Manila last August 30.

Danding, founder and chairman emeritus of the NPC, said the meeting was attended by all six Negros Occidental congressmen, Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr, Alvarez and Kabankalan City Mayor Isidro Zayco, the newly appointed NPC provincial chairman.

He said his decision to support Alvarez came after 3rd District Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, 1st District Rep. Julio Ledesma IV, and Zayco, separately told him that they, along with their mayors, are not supporting the reelection bid of Marañon.

During the recent press conference, Danding also showed the media a video recording of the Aug. 30 meeting, saying that the attendees all knew the discussion was being recorded.

Danding said Marañon had initially told him he would not run again in 2013, so he chose the next leader-in-waiting, who was Alvarez . The governor however changed his mind later on, saying the support of 19 of 31 Negros mayors made him decide to seek reelection.

Speaking in a rare public appearance, Danding debunked claims he dictated who should be the next political leaders in Negros Occidental. “That is farthest from the truth. I have never dictated to anybody here in Negros; we always followed the decision of the majority,” he said.

Cojuangco, who owns vast landholdings in Negros Occidental, said he decided to hold a press conference to explain his side on how incumbent Alvarez was chosen as the party’s gubernatorial bet in 2013 over reelectionist Marañon.

Marañon and Alvarez are also top officials of the United Negros Alliance (UNA), which Cojuangco also founded more than 10 years ago. With the inevitable clash of the two in 2013 polls, the once formidable UNA is now seen to disintegrate.

Marañon, who claimed he was “unceremoniously dethroned” as NPC provincial chairman, said he will run under the UNA ticket and will field a full slate against the NPC slate lead by Alvarez. UNA is a local coalition composed mostly of incumbent officials belonging to various national political parties.

Danding however countered: “This fight is politics, it’s nothing personal…that is the way politics is, the best of friends go against each other, it happens, and I guess this is not something different... Let’s see what the people say. In the end, they are the final judge.”

“Everybody is free to do what they want and who they will support, we cannot dictate upon people,” he said, insisting that he never dictated on candidates in Negros Occidental because he is not from this province. He is from Tarlac, and he just married a Negrense, Gretchen Oppen, and got stuck here, he said.  (FREEMAN)