Friday, September 16, 2016
BY CARLA GOMEZ

Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) yesterday said there should be no political divide at this time, with members of the United Negros Alliance and Love Negros joining the ruling PDP Laban ( Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan) .

Courtesy of The Visayan Daily Star Facebook Page

Negros Occidental officials are set to take their oaths on October 1, while those of Negros Oriental did so in Dumaguete City yesterday (story on Oriental page).

Benitez, who joined the PDP Laban shortly after the May elections, was reacting to a question on whether both camps can exist harmoniously under one national political party.

“Elections are over, there is no distinction politically at this point, this not the time to talk politics. It is time to get down to work for our province and country,” he said.

Asked how the relationship between Gov. Alfredo Marañon and his staunch critic Moises Padilla Mayor Magdaleno Peña will be, with both of them joining PDP Laban, Benitez said “They are old enough to make it harmonious.”

It has been announced that the mass oathtaking of the new PDP Laban members in Negros Occidental will be on October 1 , but House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, secretary general of the party, said he was not aware that an event had been scheduled and would have to ask about it.

The number of Negros Occidental mayors joining the PDP Laban are 10 from the United Negros Alliance and 9 from Love Negros.

Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon will lead the UNegA members at the mass oathtaking into the PDP Laban.

The 10 mayors on the UNegA list are Alfredo Marañon III of Sagay City, Ernesto Estrao – Hinoba-an, Marxlen de la Cruz - Salvador Benedicto Patrick Escalante – Cadiz City, Lourdes Escalante – Manapla, Richard Jaojoco – Toboso, Cicero Borromeo – Candoni, Rhumyla Nicor Mangilimutan – La Castellana, Jilson Tubillara – San Enrique and Emmanuel Aranda – Binalbagan.

The mayors on the Love Negros list joining the PDP Laban are Enrique Montilla – Isabela, Neil Lizares - Talisay City, Mark Golez - Silay City, Marvin Malacon - EB Magalona, Francis Palanca - Victorias City, Andrew Montelibano – Murcia, Magdaleno Peña – Moises Padilla, Miguel Peña – Pulupandan, and Enrique Marivalles - Valladolid.*CPG