Are differences
irreconcilable?

What were the hurts and differences that have threatened the split in the United Negros Alliance?

This is something that has sort of bugged me. Nobody has yet come up to arbitrate or mediate the problem, if any.

Of course, the issue is not only between Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. and Vice Governor Genaro Alvarez. There is the other thing – what is it that had triggered the involvement of former Ambassador Eduardo Cojuangco to allegedly choose Alvarez and not Marañon.

Political squabbles of such magnitude just don’t grow up spontaneously. In short, there are differences over the years that have grown so irreconcilable that they could trigger a head-on split between what had been considered previously as a well-knit union of many forces.

That’s the reason why I suspected that the entire episode was just a scenario intended to the possibility of any other group or persona taking advantage of the forthcoming 2013 poll and drive a wedge among the UNA cadre to seize power and gain the upper hand.

 Of course, I have been aware of some talks about differences between Marañon and some congressmen in the province. But these were hurts which were slowly transcended by both the two groups and settled amicably. Of course, we know the hurts remain, but the question is, are they so deeply rooted that nobody has come forward to act as mediator or intermediary in settling them?

Now notice the differences in the decision by Alvarez and Marañon?

The governor, in his impromptu press conference Monday, declared his decision to run for reelection because the province’s 18 mayors want him to run again for reelection.

Long before Monday, Marañon had played a coy game…. he often said that he is just waiting for the scheduled meeting of the UNA for him to declare his final decision on whether to run again or to seek other positions.

Note again, the answer by Alvarez “it depends on UNA.” And he added “it is easy to declare his plans to run, but in the end, it will be the decision of the party if they are going to field you.”

And Alvarez hammered the point that it is the congressmen who decide the slate for the governor, the vice governor, the mayors and down to councilors in consultation with former Ambassador Eduardo Cojuangco.

That, to a certain extent gives credence to the initial story that Cojuangco, who attended the birthday bash of Alvarez, may have actually hinted that the southern Negros political leader is his choice to lead the UNA ticket for the governorship in the 2013 polls.

It was only E.B. Magalona Mayor David Lacson who tried to heal the rift, if any, by stating that the 18 mayors represented a solid support for Marañon according to the rule of the party or coalition on the “equity of the incumbent.”

Manuel Escalante III also sort of played a key role in pointing out that 12 of the 18 local executives had earlier signified their support for Marañon during the birthday party of the governor’s executive assistant last Tuesday at Ayala Northpoint in Talisay City.

Actually, Marañon himself had no hand in the gathering of Monday’s 17 mayors (The 18th whom the governor counted as his supporter was Alberto Nicor of La Castellana who was not present.) It was Lacson who had arranged it. And the president of the local executives of the province showed that he is playing the role of mediator when he pointed out that “I’ll try to fix it. There is no problem that cannot be solved”.

Lacson is pushing for a replicate of the Maranon-Alvarez tandem, pointing that “we love them both.”

Even if the three other town mayors surfaced today to pledge their support for Maranon that is still way below the number of the 31 city mayors and local mayors of the province of Negros Occidental.

          With Alvarez declaring that he had spurned two invitations to meet with the mayors and the governor, it seems that the die is cast. There may be no turning back for Alvarez.

One thing I had noticed, every time both of them were on the same platform or stage, while the governor seems to be poker faced, Alvarez is usually seen as uneasy as if he was aware that he is there just by the good graces of the governor.

The other problem, who has been feeding tales to Cojuangco that he has lost his preference in Marañon? What tales had been given to the former UNA founder and chieftain that he has finally turned his back on Marañon?

Just asking.*

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