Bacolod Rep. Evelio Leonardia, chairman of the Nationalist People's Coalition in Bacolod City, said yesterday that the party has drawn up a complete slate of their candidates for the election next year and that it is going to be a “powerhouse cast”.

At the meeting of the NPC District Sunday, he told the group to go “full speed ahead” with the work for the elections.

He did not disclose the names of the NPC candidates, but confirmed that they already have candidates for congressman, mayor, vice mayor and for the 12 seats in the city council. They also have a line-up of alternate candidates, and added that they had a hard time choosing because of the number of good choices.

“But we chose the best we could”, he added, “and I will be proud to present this team. This is the team that will bring back and accelerate the development momentum we started in 2004,” Leonardia said . “Our people will be happy to vote for our candidates,” he also said.

"We will make an official announcement only after we have consulted our top officials in Manila because this is part of our process," Leonardia said.

Vice Mayor Greg Gasataya said that as they have agreed, they will conduct a series of meetings. But what is clear is that this month, the party will make an announcement on their plans for the coming elections, he said.

Gasataya said the discussion was exploratory and a continuation of a series of meetings.

This is one step forward from where they were before and he said that he is open to the option to run for a higher position.

They will announce their line-up within the month, Gasataya added.

At the four-hour meeting which Leonardia described as substantive and jovial, were party officials Gasataya, Councilors Em Ang, Caesar Distrito, and Bobby Rojas, and former councilors Dindo Ramos, Cano Tan, Mona Dia Jardin, and Al Victor Espino.

PPA REQUEST

Meanwhile, Gasataya said the Sangguniang Panlungsod will conduct a committee hearing today on the request of the Philippine Ports Authority for a port zone delineation of the Banago Port before the start of the SP session which will be attended by all members of the City Council.

However, Gasataya said the local and national PPA should first resolve their conflicting opinion on the reclamation project before bringing the matter up to the SP.

The PPA in Negros Occidental shelved the proposed 2.4 hectare reclamation in Banago, intended to be used as Banago Port's operations cargo back-up area, in view of the opposition of the residents occupying a two-hectare area in the property.*CGS

back to top