In Bacolod City, Negros Occidental candidates open campaign salvos

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines  â€” Negrenses had a preview of the power showdown of local candidates who staged their respective opening salvos since Sunday, a day after the official start of the local campaign period.

The tandem of re-electionist Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. and runningmate, Provincial Board Member Melvin Ibañez,  conducted their first campaign rally in Escalante City last Easter Sunday.

Their opponents, the tandem of Vice Gov. Genaro Alvarez Jr., who is running for governor, and his runningmate, former San Carlos City mayor Eugenio Jose Lacson, had theirs last Monday (April 1).

Marañon is the standard-bearer of the United Negros Alliance (UNA), while Alvarez is the standard-bearer of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC).

In Bacolod City, the NPC-Grupo Progreso of Mayor Evelio Leonardia, Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson and former councilor Greg Gasataya had their opening salvo in Brgy. Villamonte yesterday (Tuesday).

Leonardia, now on his last term as mayor, is running for congressman against re-electionist Bacolod Rep. Anthony Golez, while Sayson is running for mayor with Gasataya as his running-mate for vice mayor.

The NPC-GP’s candidates for councilor are: re-electionists Em Ang, Caesar Distrito, Carl Lopez, Bobby Rojas and Mona Dia Jardin, and Bart Orola, Ed Guillem, Chito Jalandoni, Alex Paglumotan, Migz Estrella and Israel Salanga.

Their 12th bet, Pros Leonardia, the mayor’s brother, was not present as he was recuperating from a heart bypass.

A day earlier (Monday night), their opponents, former Bacolod congressman Monico Puentevella of the Pamilya MKK (Magbinuligay Kita sa Kauswagan), who is running for mayor, and his runningmate, businessman Vladimir Gonzalez, had their opening salvo also in Brgy. Villamonte.

With them were their bets for councilors: Jocelle Sigue, Jun Gamboa, Ana Marie Palermo, Frank Carbon, Ray Carmona, Bong Dilag, Raymond Fuentes, Andy Hagad, Paulo Lacson, Kalaw Puentevella, Marlon Solidum and May Cueva.

The NPC-GP bets presented their platform of government to the media at Business Inn Monday, in line with the party’s theme “Ipadayon ang Progreso (To the Next Level),” which enumerated the gains of the present administration with the vow that these will be sustained or continued through the next term.

On the other hand, Puentevella and Gonzalez presented the MMK party’s 12-point program of government for a “better Bacolod” that was anchored on the theme, “Magbinuligay Kita sa Kauswagan.”

Puentevella highlighted the party’s priorities for health and medical services delivery, support for education via scholarships and teachers’ welfare, investment promotions, job opportunities and tourism development, among others.

Gonzalez, in a press statement, said he will focus on his four-point legislative agenda centered on economic development, job generation, gender and development advocacy and youth and sports. (FREEMAN)