UNA meets to settle provincial lineup

A MEETING in Manila among the top officials of the province under the United Negros Alliance (UNA) is held Thursday to settle the provincial lineup in the 2013 midterm elections.

Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. and Vice Governor Genaro Alvarez ran in tandem under UNA during the 2010 election.

Will they be running in the same banner and lineup? is a question UNA expects to resolve in their
meeting Thursday.

Former Ambassador Eduardo Cojuangco Jr., founder of UNA and Chairman Emeritus of the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) will lead the meeting.

Expected to attend are Marañon and Alvarez with the six representatives of the province, namely Julio Ledesma IV (first district), Alfredo Marañon III (second district), Albee Benitez (third district), Jeffrey Ferrer (fourth district), Alejandro Mirasol (fifth district) and Mercedes Alvarez (sixth district).

Former governor and now Kabankalan City Mayor Isidro Zayco is also attending the meeting as the new provincial chairman of NPC.

Thursday's meeting, according to Rep. Alvarez, is the usual selection process done by UNA every election for several years already since it was formed.

She is hoping that the conflict among the party members will be resolved.

The party's dominance in the province has brought unity and progress that already earned distinction even in the national political scene.

The meeting Thursday among the top officials is also closely monitored by all mayors in the province, as this will also determine the political scenario in all towns and cities in Negros, according to a mayor who requested anonymity.

If the Marañon versus Alvarez scenario happens in the province in 2013, the mayor said that this will also mean that incumbents can expect opponents in their respective towns and cities.

It was earlier reported that, in terms of support among the six lawmakers who are attending the meeting, tie votes are expected for Marañon and Alvarez.

Who will break the tie and how the looming "battle royale" can be avoided in 2013 will only be resolved in Thursday's meeting, the mayor said.

Marañon has already declared that he would seek re- election in 2013 because of the support of more than 19 mayors while Alvarez said he has already been endorsed by the NPC mayors as their gubernatorial candidate.