Albee denies appeal, says it’s Bong for guv
BY CARLA P. GOMEZ
Tuesday, September 18, 2018
“I am giving way to Bong”.
That was the categorical answer of Rep. Alfredo “Albee” Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) yesterday to those in Love Negros still calling for him to run for governor in 2019, instead of Vice Governor Eugenio Jose“Bong” Lacson.
A last minute appeal was made by some members for Benitez to run for governor, but nothing was agreed upon, so another meeting is set on September 23, Lacson said.
He, however, withheld the names of the Love Negros members who made the last minute appeal.
Aside from him and Benitez, there were 14 mayors, Rep. Mercedes Alvarez (Neg. Occ., 6th District) and Rep. Stephen Paduano (Abang Lingkod Partylist) who attended the meeting, the vice governor said.
“We all know that Congressman Benitez has already manifested his intention to take a break,”Lacson said, adding that he hopes the meeting of Love Negros next Sunday will be the final one.
“In fact I will insist that it will be the final meeting as far as the 2019 elections is concerned,” Lacson said.
“I don’t expect Cong. Abee will change his mind, but I do believe Love Negros should come up with a final consensus,” he said.
They are in an awkward situation right now because they reached out to the United Negros Alliance that agreed to a merger, and UNegA is “waiting to make a formal announcement and here comes this slight glitch with Love Negros”, Lacson said.
Lacson said he expects his runningmate from UNegA to be former Rep. Jeffrey Ferrer.
Board Member Salvador Escalante, UNegA secretary general, said Benitez has already committed to supporting Lacson for governor. UNegA is fielding Ferrer for vice governor and is ready for the coalition, he added.
UNegA will wait for Love Negros until the last day of filing of Certificates of Candidacy, he said.
“We are committed to the people of Negros to carry out the coalition to have peace in our politics, that is the legacy Guv (Marañon) would like to leave behind,” Escalante said.
Marañon is on his third and last term as governor.*