Former Senator Ernesto Maceda, Nationalist People’s Coalition president emeritus, yesterday said if there is anyone who can resolve the problem of who should run for governor of Negros Occidental in 2013, it is Ambassador Eduardo Cojuangco Jr.

Maceda, who is in Negros Occidental, paid a courtesy call on Governor Alfredo Marañon at his office in Bacolod, yesterday.

Marañon Jr. has announced that he is seeking reelection, while Vice Governor Genaro Alvarez Jr. said he is the choice of the Nationalist People’s Coalition for the post.

Both are members of the United Negros Alliance that Cojuangco founded, and of which Marañon is chairman.

A meeting of Negros Occidental congressmen, which Cojuangco is expected to attend, is set in Manila on August 30 where the choice on whom to field for governor will reportedly be discussed.

Maceda said he was informed that the good news is that the ambassador has called a meeting to try to resolve differences.

Asked about the NPC’s choice of Alvarez for governor and its alleged easing out of Marañon as chairman of the party in Negros Occidental without informing him, Maceda said that as president emeritus, he is no longer active in party affairs.

He said the governor informed him that Negros Occidental will be self-sufficient in rice next year, and about his efforts to make the province the lamb capital of the Philippines.

Maceda said he is running for senator in 2013 under the United Nationalist Alliance and hopes to be adopted by the United Negros Alliance, too.

He said UNA now has 10 candidates for senator on its line-up and is still discussing who will be the last two to fill the slate.

Aside from him the nine other UNA senatorial bets are Senators Loren Legarda and Gregorio Honasan, former Senators Richard Gordon and Juan Miguel Zubiri, Representatives Jack Enrile, JV Ejercito and Mitos Magsaysay, Governor Gwen Garcia and businessman Joey de Venecia.*CPG

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