NOW is the time for the top Love Negros officials to ask each other regarding what lies ahead of them as the filing of candidacy is fast approaching.
Third District Representative Alfredo “Albee” Benitez recently sent a text message to Vice Governor Eugenio Jose “Bong” Lacson, who was out of the country at that time, asking if when he is coming back.
Lacson replied: “On the 29th of August and what is your decision?”
The vice governor arrived Wednesday morning and in the afternoon, August 29, he presided the regular session of the Provincial Council.
Lacson said: “I take that he wants to talk to me already. So what I will do later is to ask for his schedule and ask him what his decision would be.”
They will both have to make a decision if who will run for governor in the 2019 polls.
“I would know the availability of Congressman Albee soon. But as I said before, we will not clash politically. There is no problem with Love Negros,” he said.
He said: “There is a possibility that the position of the Governor [Alfredo Marañon Jr.] will be for Love Negros candidate and the vice governor is for the United Negros Alliance [Unega],” citing the direction of the unity talk of the two rival political groups.
The direction is really towards a unified ticket, the vice governor said.
When asked if he is ready to be the next governor, he said, “yes.”
As to the position eyed by former Fourth District representative Jeffrey Ferrer, “his decision will come from his party and not our party. It would be unfair if Love Negros will dictate who will be the candidate for vice governor,” Lacson said.
He said that even there are unity talks, they cannot say yet if there will be no challenger.
“Right now, it is just these two political parties but there could be a challenger. It is possible. But we don’t know. It is not nice to say that we cannot be challenged. Anybody can challenge the unified team,” Lacson said.
“We can safely say that the candidates of Love and Unega will be strong candidates,” he added.
Benitez and Marañon have been talking about the merger from time to time
Anointed one?
On the talks that he is reportedly the anointed one of President Rodrigo Duterte to run for governor in the province, citing the frequent surprise visit of the President to the province where the vice governor was always present, Lacson refused to comment.
“I cannot claim that I will be anointed by the President. Maybe, let us have the candidate first and let see who the President will anoint, if at all, he will,” he said.
Lacson is affiliated with the National People’s Coalition (NPC), a political party that forged an alliance with the Hugpong ng Pagbabago, a regional political party formed by the Presidential daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.
“As a member of NPC, I am part of that alliance,” Lacson said.