NEGROS Occidental sixth district Representative Mercedes Alvarez-Lansang brushed aside on Thursday, August 2, speculation that there will be a clash between Love Negros top officials -- Representative Alfredo Benitez and Vice Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson -- for the gubernatorial post in the 2019 elections.
“What the world needs now is love and maybe more love also for the province of Negros Occidental,” she said.
“As to the possible clash of Cong. Benitez and Vice Governor Lacson, that is out of the question. There is no truth to it. We have discussed that, whatever will happen, there will be no clash among Love Negros officials/candidates,” she added.
“We are all in speaking terms. We coordinate with each other except that they had meetings that I may be absent because of my presence in the Congress. That is a very remote possibility that there will be a clash,” she said.
Meanwhile, Alvarez-Lansang said there is nothing certain about her political plans except to get pregnant.
Alvarez-Lansang, who is on her third and final term, said her father, former vice governor Genaro Alvarez Jr., will stage a comeback in 2019. He will run for congressman of the sixth district.
“We have less than a year to go and we have bills and programs that need to be acted before my term ends,” she said.
As to the talks that she will run for vice governor with Lacson for governor, she said “there are a lot of those speculating and talking about it, but I don’t mind them. The filing of the certificate of candidacy is two months away from now and there will be enough time for everyone to talk about it.”
As to the change of leadership in the House, she said as far as she knows, she still holds the position of the deputy House Speaker.
Positions like secretary-general and sergeant-at-arms were changed because those holding such position must enjoy the trust and confidence of the new leader of the House, she said.
She said she has no problem working with the new House Speaker, former president and Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
“She has roots here in Negros by marriage. I am okay with her. In Congress, it is always the rule of the majority that prevails. If the majority of the congressmen have lost their confidence to the former House speaker, we can easily change him or her anytime we want,” she said.