Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. yesterday said the members of the executive committee of the United Negros Alliance will collectively agree when to hold the party’s crucial meeting to decide whom it will field for governor in 2013.

The meeting may be held in the first week of September, said Marañon, who is the UNA chairman.

The UNA executive committee is composed of him, the six congressmen of Negros Occidental, and Kabankalan Mayor Isidro Zayco, as ex oficio officer being the former governor, Marañon said.

Also expected at the meeting is business tycoon Eduardo Cojuangco, UNA founder, Vice Governor Genaro Alvarez Jr. said earlier.

Alvarez has announced that he is the Nationalist People’s Coalition choice for governor, while Marañon has said that he will run for re-election in 2013.

UNA is a coalition of Negros Occidental candidates who are members of different national parties.

Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) Friday said the mayors of Negros Occidental do not want to see the disintegration of UNA with a showdown between its top two officials for the gubernatorial post in 2013, they want a peaceful resolution to the dispute.

That is why a formal UNA selection process, based on previous practice, has to be followed in the choice of its gubernatorial bet, he said.

The practice is that the congressmen meet to decide who the governor will be, and the governor then will be given the authority to choose his vice governor, he said. The congressmen also select the mayors of their district, and the mayors pick their vice mayor and councilors, Benitez added.*CPG

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