Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. yesterday said he is definitely running for governor of Negros Occidental in 2013 no matter what is decided in a second meeting of top officials of the province in Manila next week.

“I already decided to run, I have said I will run,” he said.

He is running because he has the support of the majority of the mayors of the province, the governor said.

Vice Governor Genaro Alvarez, his partner in the 2010 polls, has disclosed that he has been endorsed by the Nationalist People’s Coalition and will also run for governor in 2013.

At a meeting Thursday in Manila Cojuangco, the six congressmen of Negros Occidental, Marañon, Alvarez and Kabankalan Mayor Isidro Zayco, also a former governor of the province, failed to reach an agreement on a common candidate for governor in 2013.

They decided on a second meeting next week to try to reach some consensus to prevent a confrontation between Marañon and Alvarez.

Marañon said no formal selection process was made at the meeting but there was a tie among the six congressmen in the choice for governor, and there were proposals for the tossing of a coin or drawing of lots on who should run.

The governor said he has the support of his son, Rep. Alfredo Marañon III (Neg. Occ., 2nd District), Rep. Jeffrey Ferrer (Neg. Occ., 4th District) and Rep. Alejandro Mirasol (Neg. Occ., 5th District).

Alvarez has the support of Rep. Julio Ledesma IV (Neg. Occ., 1st District) and his daughter Rep. Mercedes Alvarez (Neg. occ., 6th District), while Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) is also believed to be on his side.*CPG

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