THE camp of Moises Padilla Mayor Magdaleno Peña denied his supposed statement against the campaign to boycott Coca-Cola products.

The alleged press statement of the mayor was sent to SunStar Bacolod office the other day, but Peña’s staff Yrene Valenzuela said the mayor did not issue any statement on high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which was published in the paper Friday under the story, “Leaders ‘worried’ over continuing drop in sugar prices.”

The statement read: “I want the governor and the sugar industry leaders to know especially the presidents of sugar federations that the municipalities of Pulupandan and Moises Padilla will not join the boycott of Coca-Cola for using HFCS as this is stupid it. The presidents of the federations should put their acts together and sit down with the cola industry and discuss the problems amicably. You cannot oblige one industry to subsidize another industry, that’s stupidity.”

Sugar leaders said the unabated entry of HFCS in the country had caused a massive drop in sugar prices, which is killing the industry.

The Sugar Regulatory Administration issued a sugar order to regulate the HFCS importation.

In Negros Occidental, Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. banned the sale and sponsorship of Coke products in this year’s Panaad sa Negros Festival, which prompted other localities to follow. These included Hinigaran, Isabela, La Carlota City, Pontevedra and Barangay Talotog of Murcia town while E. B. Magalona planned to declare a Coke ban after its fiesta ended on May 1. (MPE)