Vice Governor Genaro Alvarez Jr., who had earlier announced that he is the Nationalist People’s Coalition choice for governor of Negros Occidental, yesterday said he cannot comment on the UNA selection process yet because he does not know what method will be adopted.

Alvarez is also a member of UNA, which is a formidable coalition of Negros Occidental officials belonging to 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, and they want a peaceful resolution to the dispute.

“We will work to ensure that there will be no UNA breakup,” said Marañon, who is the UNA chairman.

Almost all UNA members are hoping and praying that the party will not break up, he pointed out.

The UNA executive committee will collectively agree when and where to hold the party’s crucial meeting to decide whom it will field for governor in 2013, which may be sometime in the first week of September, Marañon said.

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.

Asked if it will just be the congressmen who will vote for the choice of the gubernatorial bet, Marañon said the process on how to choose the UNA candidates will have to be discussed.

Sometimes business tycoon Eduardo Cojuangco also attends the meeting, he said.

Meanwhile, Marañon said he met with Rep. Alejandro Mirasol (Neg. Occ., 5th District) yesterday, and the solon informed him that he will push for the conversion of 20 kilometers in Moises Padilla into a national road so he can get national government funding for its repair.

Marañon also said that a lot of mayors are asking for rice to help their constituents cope with the dead season in the sugar industry. “We are giving some help but we cannot give rice to all because the resources of the province is not big, it’s limited,” the governor added.*CPG

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