“WE will honor and respect that.”

This is what Bacolod Mayor Evelio “Bing” Leonardia said about personal relations some Grupo Progreso councilors have with Congressman Greg Gasataya.

“It can happen that even if they belong to different political groups, they can still remain friends," Leonardia, who earlier announced that he is cutting ties with Gasataya doubting the latter’s neutrality, said.

The reelectionist congressman earlier announced that he will stay neutral during the 2022 polls, saying that both Leonardia and fellow mayoralty aspirant Alfredo “Albee” Benitez “are significant to my personal and political journey.”

Leonardia clarified that GP, the political alliance that he formed 14 years ago, will honor and respect those who had already abandoned his group to join the rival camp.

Leonardia also made an assurance that in the light of Gasataya's departure from the GP, the proposed establishment of the Bacolod General Hospital, which is identified with the solon, will go unhampered.

GP, he said, had adopted it in its platform and was part of their campaign promise during the 2019 elections.

"We were all signatories to that (2019 platform). That is for the record," the mayor added. (SSB)