NEGROS Occidental Vice Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson revealed on Wednesday, February 6, that re-electionist senators who are all out in defending the sugar industry will get the support of the Negrenses in the coming May 13 elections.
Lacson said that senators who have been supportive of the sugar industry since the issue on high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) will be based on the list of Senate Majority Floor Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri.
Zubiri in December 2018 personally endorsed Senators Joseph Victor Ejercito Estrada, Cynthia Villar, and Juan Edgardo Angara in a press conference in Bacolod.
He said that these re-electionist senators have been very supportive of the sugar industry from the issue on HFCS, higher tax on HFCS and for the approval of the Sugarcane Industry Development Act.
Lacson said that Love Negros will try to come up with a unified senatorial slate, as the United Negros Alliance (Unega) chaired by Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. is targeting to support eight senatorial candidates.
“But what is important now is senators who will defend the sugar industry, no matter what,” said Lacson, who is a unified gubernatorial candidate of Love Negros and Unega in the mid-term elections.
Lacson also emphasized that Negrosanons will not allow the death of the sugar industry “because this is our lifeblood” following the proposed sugar import liberalization.
“If people think we are spoiled, we are not spoiled. All we want is to allow the Sugar Regulatory Administration to regulate the industry. We have not ask for much favor from the national government. At least, the national government should not allow the death of the sugar industry,” Lacson said.
Marañon has already named some of the eight senatorial candidates that will be backed by Unega.
He said he leaves it to the members of the party to fill up the remaining senatorial slots based on their personal choices. (TDE)