SECOND District Board Member Salvador Escalante Jr., secretary-general of United Negros Alliance said yesterday, June 10, that their group has given the go signal to Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. and former Fourth District Representative Jeffrey Ferrer to sit down and represent their group in any unification talks with Love Negros for the 2019 elections.
Escalante said this was the highlight of the Unega meeting on Saturday, June 9, with the presence of all the mayor-members of the group, Escalante said.
Fifth District Representative Alejandro Mirasol was not around during the meeting due to a prior engagement, Escalante said.
"We are still waiting for Love Negros for the unification talk and we will listen to their proposal," Escalante said.
He also said they will give Love Negros a timeline which is on September because the filing of the Certificate of Candidacy for the 2019 elections will be on October.
He pointed out that it would depend on Love Negros if it would be Third District Representative Alfredo Benitez or Vice Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson who will represent them in the unification talks.
"The Lacson-Ferrer tandem is possible in 2019 but if the unification talk fails, the Marañon-Ferrer or Ferrer-Marañon tandem is possible," Escalante said, referring to Sagay City Mayor Alfredo Marañon III.
In a related development, Sipalay City Mayor Oscar Montilla Jr., who is a member of Love Negros, revealed they are also pushing for a unification of their group and Unega.
However, he said they have no schedule of their meeting in Love Negros yet.
He said that whenever a conflict arises about who will run in certain areas in the 2019 elections, the equity of the incumbent shall always prevail.
Montilla who is already on his last term said that his sister Vice Mayor Gina Montilla may be his successor in 2019.
Those who attended the meeting yesterday were Hinobaan Mayor Ernesto Estrao, Candoni Mayor Ceciro Borromeo, Cauayan Mayor Johnrey Tabujara, Binalabagan Mayor Emmanuel Aranda, San Enrique Mayor Jilson Tubillara, Pontevedra Mayor Jose Benito Alonso, Bago City Mayor Nicholas Yulo, La Castellana Mayor Rhumyla Mangilimutan, Cadiz City Mayor Patrick Escalante, Sagay City Mayor Alfredo Maranon III , Manapla Mayor Lourdes Escalante, Toboso Mayor Richard Jaojoco, Calatrava Mayor Araceli Somosa, Salvador Benedicto Mayor Marxlene Dela Cruz, Isabela Mayor Joselito Malabor and La Carlota Mayor Luis Jalandoni.
The board members who were present at the meeting were Escalante, Samson Mirhan, David Albert Lacson, Victor Javellana, Jose Maria Alonso, Alain Gatuslao, Valentino Miguel Alonso and Annabelle Bermudo.
(On SK Federation elections)
Escalante said that Unega's bet is Paolo Villanueva, Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation President of Toboso lost to Love Negros bet Pocholo Yuvienco.
Yuvienco got 16 votes while Villanueva got 15 votes.
Escalante said that Villanueva was supposed to have won if Victorias City SK Federation President fulfilled her promise to support their bet.
"We do not know what happened," Escalante said.