It looks like the United Negros Alliance will not be supporting a single candidate for president in the 2022 elections.
While it is likely that Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer, UNegA president, will be supporting the presidential bid of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., there are also other officials who are backing Vice President Leni Robredo for president, Cadiz Mayor Salvador Escalante, UNegA secretary general, said Sunday, December 5.
The UNegA members held their general assembly at the Manuel Y. Torres Memorial Coliseum and Cultural Center in Bago City on Saturday but did not tackle whom they will support for president.
It is too early for UNegA to decide but his leanings are towards Marcos who is close not only to him but to the Benedicto family, Ferrer said.
Ferrer is married to Rep. Juliet Marie Ferrer, the granddaughter of former ambassador Roberto Benedicto, who was a close ally of Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
“Kabalo naman kamo Marcos-Benedicto indi nyo na mabulag maskin mag inano pa (your already know that you cannot separate Marcos-Benedicto no matter what happens,” Ferrer said.
“If they were together in exile, they would stay together all the way whatever happens,” he said.
But he will respect the decision of the UNegA members, he will talk to all the mayors, but it’s too early to decide because the elections are six months away, Ferrer said.
Escalante said UNegA does not impose the choice of national bets on its members.
“UNegA members have their individual preferences…at the end of the day I will also make my own choice whom my president will be,” Escalante said.
As of now, he is supporting the pronouncements of President Rodrigo Duterte, he added.
Officials in the second district of Negros Occidental, where Cadiz City belongs, will be one in their choice of a presidential bet, just as it will be in the fourth district where Ferrer is from, he said.
Escalante noted that there are also many local officials, who are UNegA members, who are also for Robredo.*