Negros Occidental Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer and Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez on Wednesday, Nov. 8, said they fully support the reelection bid of Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson in the 2025 midterm elections.
Victorias Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez, Negros Association of Chief Executives president, in a statement released Wednesday also said he is endorsing Lacson to be re-elected as governor in 2025.
“Undeniably, Governor Bong has already led numerous milestones but there is still a lot more he can do for the province of Negros Occidental,” he said.
Lacson confirmed on Tuesday that he is running for a third term in 2025.
Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, in his speech at the Migrant Fair at the SMX Convention Center in Bacolod on Wednesday, said he is endorsing and supporting the reelection bid of Lacson.
Love Negros will meet in December to formalize its plans. Lacson will be the Love Negros official candidate for governor in 2025, Benitez also said in an interview.
His son, Javier Benitez, said Lacson’s “relentless support to Victorias and to the rest of the cities and municipalities in the province of Negros Occidental is a testament to his unparalleled dedication and compassion for all Negrosanons”.
The Victorias mayor said as president of the Negros ACE, Lacson has been ever-present and supportive of their initiatives.
Lacson’s leadership “empowered us to forge a formidable alliance between us, ACE members, in sharing our best practices, offering assistance, and solidifying the camaraderie among the different localities in the province,” he said.
Ferrer, who is chairman of the United Negros Alliance (UNegA), also confirmed their support for the reelection bid of Lacson who is a member of Love Negros.
The coalition agreement is to allow Lacson to finish his third term, Ferrer said.
Ferrer also confirmed that he is not running for a third term as vice governor, as he plans to run for representative of the Fourth District of Negros Occidental.
His wife, Rep. Juliet Marie Ferrer (Neg. Occ., 4th District), has no plans to run for vice governor or any other position in Negros Occidental in 2025, he said.
He would not comment on talk that President Ferdinand Marcos may appoint her to an ambassadorial post. All the vice governor would say was “secret”.
Meanwhile, the UNegA is still determining whom it will field for vice governor, there are about four names being considered, Ferrer said.
Since Lacson comes from the north, ideally the vice governor should come from the south, he said.*