HOUSE Deputy Speaker Mercedes Alvarez on Thursday, August 17, said that Negros Occidental politics was not discussed during the meeting of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) at their headquarters in Pasig City on August 4.

NPC chairman Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. presided the meeting.

“It was just a quarterly get-together of NPC Philippines in Manila, not only for Negros. We didn’t talk about the 2019 elections or local elections. Too far away,” said Alvarez, representative of the Sixth District of Negros Occidental.

She added that also present were Vice Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, Mayors Isidro Zayco of Kabankalan City, Agustin Ernesto Bascon of Himamaylan City, and Nicholas Yulo of Bago City.

Meanwhile, Lacson said Cojuangco reiterated that NPC aims to increase its membership, but they have not yet started recruitment in the province.

He suggested during the meeting that the party should also increase numbers in the Senate.

“We will definitely invite members in the province and other local government units,” he added.

Locally, Lacson said that Love Negros has not decided yet when to hold a convention.

“If ever we do it's obviously for 2019, we cannot deny that,” he added.