Alvarez-Lacson tandem now official

FORMER ambassador Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco, chairman emeritus of the Nationalists Peoples Coalition (NPC) officially declared Vice Governor Genardo Alvarez and former San Carlos Mayor Eugenio Lacson as candidates for the province in the 2013 elections.

Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia and Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson were also declared as official candidates for Bacolod City in the 2013 midterm elections.

Alvarez enjoyed the support of four Negros Occidental congressmen, namely Representatives Jules Ledesma (1st District), Albee Benitez (3rd District), Alejandro Mirasol (5th District), and Mercedes Alvarez (6th District).

Eighteen mayors, including Leonardia, were present during the launching of the Alvarez-Lacson tandem and the mass oath-taking of the members of NPC in the province at L'Fisher Hotel, Bacolod City.

The candidates of the party in every town and city in the province were also presented with the endorsement of Cojuangco and president Frisco San Juan with Cojuangco's brother Representative Henry Cojuangco (1st District of Tarlac).

Alvarez, in his address, cited his reasons in running for governor: (1) Governor Alfredo Marañon said he is not seeking reelection; (2) he is loyal to his party and have no reason to abandon or defy the party that has been supporting him for the past 20 years; (3) he wants to share his own brand of leadership; (4) whatever cases filed to besmirch the name of his family, only the people of Negros can stop him from serving them.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I am running for governor of the province of Negros Occidental and we are going to win in 2013. It is such a big honor to be chosen as the official gubernatorial candidate of the NPC," Alvarez said before about 400 members of the NPC.

Alvarez bared a pro-people, transparent, and consultative brand of leadership that would improve the lives of the people of Negros which is based on the fundamental principle of governance of NPC when he becomes the governor of the province.

All the sectors from the church to the business should be consulted to participate in the decisions of the province.

Alvarez pointed out that the government and the businessmen should work together, the NPC gubernatorial bet pointed out.

"We will be responsive to the needs of the people," he said and emphasized his trade mark projects “from birth to death, from the basket to the casket, from womb to tomb.”

Alvarez said "Education is my priority as well as health and the environment. We will distribute livelihood projects through dispersal projects for free. In terms of agriculture, we will pursue road concreting of barangay roads and irrigation. We will later talk about the free caskets,” he said.

Alvarez also plans to make the third floor of the Negros First Cyber Park a dormitory for college students from out of town who are enrolled in Bacolod City.

Meanwhile, Leonardia said, "We always won the mayoralty and the majority of the City Council. We also hope that this time the trend will continue with the support of NPC Chairman Emeritus Danding Cojuangco, Chairman Jun Dy, President Frisco San Juan and Secretary General Congressman Mark Leandro Mendoza. Everybody has realized that the NPC is a formidable party."

Leonardia said they will work to complete their slate this week before the filing of the certificate of candidacy (COC) on October 1 to 5.

He disclosed that they have established the incumbent NPC members: Councilors Caesar Distrito, Carl Lopez – both from Nacionalista Party, and the former councilors who can still run.

“If the other incumbent councilors will decide, we will definitely consider that. But I am expecting that the LP leadership in Bacolod and up there will also make it clear to their LP members what is the arrangement insofar as the local slate is concerned," he said.

List of aspirants was submitted to NPC President Cojuangco.

"We leave it to the wisdom of the national directorate to choose our vice mayoralty candidate and we will abide with whatever decision they will have. There are many of them who were enlisted. We have to consider even our personal relationships. If only we can choose more than one candidate for vice mayor, we will do. But to avoid any possible personal repercussions, better that the national directorate will decide. The party can always make them win," he said. (Teresa D. Ellera and Carla N. Canet)