LOVE Negros now has the most numbers of mayors who won in the recently concluded May 9 national and local elections, thus it could now be considered the ruling political group in the province.
Despite declaring a merger, the top two political groups in Negros Occidental is still divided at the local level.
Of the 31 mayors in the province, 17 are affiliated with Love Negros with Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson as the highest elected official.
In First District, winning mayors affiliated with Love Negros are those in San Carlos City, Escalante City and Calatrava along with Congressman Gerardo Valmayor Jr.
In Third District, elected Love Negros mayors are those in Victorias City, E.B. Magalona, Talisay City and Murcia while in Fourth District, the local chief executives who are affiliated to the local political group are from the towns of Valladolid and Pulupandan.
The mayors from Hinigaran and Isabela towns are also Love Negros members at the province's Fifth District. Five of the six mayors in Sixth District also belong to the political group.
The United Negros Alliance (Unega) chaired by Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer, meanwhile, ruled the Second District as only one Love Negros member in the person of Narwin Javeloza won the mayoralty seat in Sagay City.
But only the mayors of Don Salvador Benedicto and Toboso in the First District are with Unega and none from the Third and Sixth Districts.
Aside from Valmayor, winning congressmen Jose Francisco Benitez and Mercedes Alvarez of the Third and Sixth Districts, respectively, are are also Love Negros members.
For UnegA, elected into congress were Representatives Alfredo Marañon III and Juliet Marie Ferrer of the Second and Fourth Districts, respectively.
As of Sunday, May 22, mayor-elect Joedith Gallego in Silay City, Kabankalan City mayor-elect Benjie Miranda and Fifth District congressman-elect Emilio Yulo remain unaffiliated to any of the two groups.
Earlier, Lacson and Ferrer have agreed to continue the unification between Love Negros and Unega which they forged during the 2019 local elections.
They also agreed to respect the incumbents by not fielding rival candidates.