Former governor Rafael Coscolluela said he has no intention of running for governor of Negros Occidental or mayor of Bacolod City in 2022.
Coscolluela said running for office is the very, very last of the options he can think of, and “from a realistic point of view it’s impossible to put together a viable campaign when you have no resources.”
He graduated as governor in 2001, it has been 20 years and many of the voters don’t know him, Coscolluela said.
“It is time for us to develop a new crop of leaders with a different mindset about politics,” he said.
The former governor said he is not running against Mayor Evelio Leonardia or fielding anyone against him, but is “very frustrated with the way Bacolod is being managed.”
“Bacolod is supposed to be one of the premier cities of the Philippines and to a large extent it is, but that it is not because of politics, it is because of Bacolodnons and Negrenses,” he said.
“There is a dynamic private sector and business sector that is making Bacolod what it is in spite of,” Coscolluela said.
“The running of Bacolod is very political, it seems that many decisions are made on the basis of political considerations,” he said.
Coscolluela said he has received feedback from the private sector at how frustrating it is to communicate with the city government to express sentiments or recommendations.
A leader, especially of a city like Bacolod, must be attuned to the needs of the population and capable of communicating with them, Coscolluela said.
“I want to work with them, I want to help Bacolod,” Coscolluela said, adding that Leonardia should not doubt the motives of those who want to help.
He said the mayor can start with genuine dialog and bringing together an expanded city development council and all the significant sectors of the city.
“Our intention is to help move the city of Bacolod forward and if he takes it upon himself to call us then I have a whole band of people willing to help,” Coscolluela said.
Forget about the mega projects like a coliseum, and use the money to help improve people’s lives, he said.*