Marañon, Alvarez hit road
as local campaign kicks off
BY CARLA GOMEZ

Candidates in Negros Occidental led by Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. of the United Negros Alliance and his opponent Vice Governor Genaro Alvarez Jr. of the Nationalist People’s Coalition hit the road yesterday after the local campaign officially kicked off Saturday.

However, Provincial Elections Supervisor Wil Arceño yesterday cautioned against the blocktime radio programs that violate the COMELEC rule on allowable airtime for candidates, and against the illegal posting of campaign materials.

He said they have received verbal complaints against blocktime radio programs paid by local candidates. We are urging the filing of formal complaints, Arceño said.

Opening salvos today for
3 Bacolod groups
BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO

The Grupo Progreso and the Pamilya MKK candidates will hold their opening salvo in Brgy. Villamonte, Bacolod City, while the Magnificent 7 will hold a caravan in the city today from the Bacolod Airport in Brgy Singcang starting 6 a.m..

The Nationalist People’s Coalition-Grupo Progreso candidates led by congressional candidate, Mayor Evelio Leonardia, and mayoralty candidate Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson, will sign a manifesto today as a form of their contract with the people of Bacolod City, after a mass at Lupit Church followed by a motorcade in the city’s main thoroughfare that will end at the Bacolod Government Center.

Sayson said the manifesto containing the party’s platform of governmentwill be signed by the Grupo Progreso candidates from congressional, mayoral, and vice mayoralty to councilors.

Vice President Jejomar Binay witnessed the signing of agreements for housing programs worth P86.8 million in Negros Occidental, and distributed certificates of lot allocations to 126 beneficiaries at the Natalio G. Velez Sports and Cultural Complex in Silay City Wednesday.

The vice president turned over a P1.78 million Social Housing Finance Corp. check to the Silay City government, through Mayor Jose Montelibano, as payment for land owned by the local government used for three Community Mortgage Program projects with 157 beneficiaries.

Binay then witnessed the signing of memoranda of agreements between the SHFC and Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia for a P21.6 million Omnibus Commitment Line (OCL) for 11 projects with 640 beneficiaries; and with Cadiz Mayor Patrick Escalante for a P43.5 million OCL for eight projects with 936 beneficiaries.