Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer announced on Sunday, December 12, that he and 25 mayors of Negros Occidental are committed to supporting presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his runningmate Sara Duterte Carpio in the 2022 polls.
His wife Rep. Juliet Marie Ferrer (4th District) and Rep. Ma. Lourdes Arroyo, and six board members have also committed to supporting the Marcos-Carpio tandem, the vice governor said at a press conference Sunday, December 12.
Two officials mentioned, however, have denied committing support.
He does not know whom Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson is supporting for president, but the governor has said that he will respect the mayors’ choices, Ferrer added.
Negros Occidental has 31 mayors.
Himamaylan City Mayor Raymund Tongson, who took his oath as a Partido Federal ng Pilipinas member, said 80 percent of the Negros Occidental officials are supporting Marcos and Carpio.
Tongson is the regional chairman of the Marcos-Carpio campaign.
The officials supporting the Marcos-Carpio tandem are a mix from the United Negros Alliance and Love Negros who attended a meeting at Stonehill Suites in Bacolod City Saturday night, Ferrer said.
The mayors committed to supporting the tandem are Melecio Yap of Escalante City, Richard Jaojoco of Toboso and Marxlen de la Cruz of Salvador Benedicto for the first district; Narciso Javelosa Jr. – Sagay mayoral bet, and Salvador Escalante – Cadiz City for the second district; all from the third and fourth districts, five from the fifth district; and John Rey Tabujara – Cauayan, and Daph Anthony Reliquias – mayoral candidate of Hinobaan for the sixth district, Ferrer said.
Escalante said he was invited to the dinner by the vice governor and he attended it to listen; he did not commit to support Marcos.
“I cannot support anybody except Bong Go because I am a member of PDP Laban,” he said.
“I am still committed to Bong Go,” he said.
Escalante said he also attended the dinner because Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Benhur Abalos, a close friend of his, was present.
Ferrer said six board members committed to supporting the Marcos-Carpio tandem are Samson Mirhan of the second district, Andrew Montelibano – third district, Jose Benito Alonso – fourth district, Agustin Ernesto Bascon of the fifth district, Valentino Miguel Alonso – sixth district and Ryan Gamboa – Philippine Councilors League president.
Gamboa said he attended the dinner to listen as a courtesy to the vice governor but he did not make any commitments.
A list of the mayors present were Yap, Jaojoco and de la Cruz of the first district, mayoral bet Javelosa and Escalante of the second district;
Mark Golez of Silay City, City Administrator Jonathan “Jojo” Ealdama for Neil Lizares of Talisay City, Marvin Malacon of EB Magalona, and Victor Gerardo Rojas of Murcia for the third district;
Nicholas Yulo of Bago City, Jose Maria Alonso of Pontevedra, and Jilson Tubillara of San Enrique – for the fourth district;
Raymund Tongson of Hiamamylan City, Alejandro Mirasol of Binalbagan, Rhumyla Mangilimutan of La Castellana, Ella Celestina Yulo of Moises Padilla and Renato Malabor Jr. – Isabela mayoral bet, for the fifth district; and Tabujara and mayoral bet Reliquias for the sixth district.*