No rift within UNA?

The mere fact that they are still united and together, sort of boosts the claim Governor Alfredo Marañon, Jr. that there is no rift among the members in the United Negros Alliance.

But there is still a lot of rumor-mongering around. Especially after Vice Governor Genaro Alvarez unleashed his statement that he suspected the NBI pinning down a member of the Alvarez family as a possible suspect in the assassination of former Kabankalan RTC Judge Henry Arles. Alvarez, perhaps inadvertently, said – “is it because I have been mentioned as running for governor?”

That caught a lot of observers wagging their tongues. That was the first time, Alvarez had mentioned that possibility. He had always been among the most loyal defenders of Marañon.

The talk is that he is primed to run for the governorship with former San Carlos City Eugenio Lacson as possible running mate.

Kabankalan Mayor Isidro Zayco and Alvarez were reported recently to have met with Nationalist People’s Alliance Eduardo Cojuangco, founder of UNA.

Alvarez, however, said they had not talked about politics when they met with Cojuangco.

Alvarez, on the other hand, said the decision on whom to field in 2013 will have to be based on the consensus reached by UNA members in the next two weeks.

There is also the possibility that another group will press on former Governor Rafael Coscolluela to also run in the next election against Marañon or whoever the UNA will endorse as its candidate for the post.

But Coscolluela told the DAILY STAR Monday people have asked him and, “I tell them I don’t have plans. They can’t believe me”.

Several mayors from the fourth district who were with Maranon last Monday said they were still for Marañon. These wee La Carlota Mayor Juliet Marie Ferrer, Pontevedra’s Jose Alonso, Rommel Yogore of Valladolid and San Enrique’s Mayor Mario Magno.

So with Bago City’s Vice Mayor Nicholas Yulo.

But sometimes, people tend to give meaning to a lot of things or utterances of people. Especially those close to the governor. That’s why the resignation and refusal or Marañon executive assistant to accept again the chairmanship of the Our Lady of Immaculate Conception parish in Villamonte was interpreted as a signal by some that Marañon may not run again for the position or could get clobbered.

But as they point out, tongues will continue to wag and speculations run riot with the approach of the elections of 2013.

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So what happens next? President Benigno Aquino III recently released a statement hailing the taking in by MV Pangilinan of Philex Mining for a Chinese firm as partner in the exploration of the recourse of the Sprathy or the South China sea as acceptable subject to the compliance with local law, regulations, etc. of corporate and other regulations governing the activities of a consortium.

That also upholds the proposal made by former House Speaker Jose De Venecia to senior Chinese officials during a series of meeting with Beijing earlier this month for a joint exploration and development by the claimant states of the disputed area’s drilling for oil, gas, and mineral resources and the designation of the “fisheries corridors”, that can exploited by finishing fleet in an orderly and sustainable manner.

De Venecia also invoked the formula of Den Xiaoping in 1987 where he advocated “shelving he issue of sovereignty” in dealing with the issues in the China Sea.

De Venecia is the founding chairman of the International Fox Conference of Asian Political Parties.

This will reportedly “depoliticize and demilitarize the South China Sea convert it into a zone of Peace, friendship, cooperation and Developments.

Well, I had pointed this out as a way to evade the tensions over the West Philippine Sea, I do hope that the business leaders of both countries and other who may wish of join the consortium may find a way to iron out the details of the whole transaction to satisfaction of all parties in the so-called consortium.

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Oqil Oquilov, 24, must immediately be determined if he is truly an alien and the charges filed against him. If he is an illegal entrant, he should immediately be deported for having engaged in the use of credit cards of two banks, one of them Metrobank, found to be fake.

The young alien, if he is so, should immediately be disciplined by the police and bureau of Immigration.

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