Thursday, March 15, 2018
By Teresa D. Ellera

NEGROS Occidental Vice Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said Wednesday, March 14, he will meet with Third District Representative Alfredo Benitez this weekend to talk about their plans for the 2019 elections.

Reports said that town and city mayors belonging to the Third District have already convinced Benitez to run for governor in the next polls.

In response, the vice governor said he is also waiting for the solon "to make that announcement."

He earlier said that he and Benitez will not run against each other.

"We will agree on one candidate among us, but we'll just wait," Lacson said.

Lacson had said that one of his political options in 2019 is to run for governor.

Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. has already pledged his support for Benitez either he runs for governor or senator in the next elections.

The governor's term will end in 2019.

Benitez has been included in the senatorial slate of the administration party Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).

Moreover, Lacson is amenable to the idea that United Negros Alliance and Love Negros will have a common candidate in the 2019 elections.

"As I've mentioned before, the intention is to bring back the 2001 scenario where we have a common candidate. I think most of the politicians in Negros would like to have a united slate. A unified team would be most welcome. But we also have to consider that we don't belong to the same party that's why it would probably be called unified party because we don't belong to the same party," Lacson said.

He said the procedure to impeach Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno should be followed.

"Follow the due process and let it pass through an impeachment court," he said.