The resignation of Vice President Sara Duterte as Department of Education (DepEd) secretary and the breaking up of the UniTeam will definitely not affect politics in Negros Occidental, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Thursday, June 20.
The UniTeam Alliance was formed to support the candidacies of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Duterte in the 2022 polls.
Lacson said on the local level, the Love Negros-United Negros Alliance (UNegA) coalition remains strong.
The governor, who is seeking reelection, said he is comfortable having Board Member Jose Benito Alonso as his runningmate in 2025.
UNegA is expected to field Alonso as its candidate for vice governor.
Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer plans to run for representative of the 4th District.
On rumors that Lea Delfinado, former Department of Public Works and Highways regional director for Western Visayas, will run against Ferrer, Lacson said “as far as the vice governor is concerned it does not matter if he has an opponent or not, he has decided to run for congressman”.
The Love Negros-UNegA coalition will be all out in its support for Ferrer, Lacson said.
Meanwhile, Lacson said he cannot asses the performance of Duterte based on her two years at the helm of the DepEd.
“Our basis should be has the quality of education in the country improved, so it is too early to tell,” the governor said.
The more important question is who will be appointed as next DepEd head, he said.
Lacson said he has no idea if the next DepEd secretary will come from Negros. “What is important is that we have a very competent secretary of education” who is appointed soon, he said.*