Bacolod City – Because of the merger United Negros Alliance and Love Negros, UNegA secretary general Salvador Escalante Jr. recently said that they have stopped recruiting new members of their political group.
Escalante, now on his third and final term as mayor of Cadiz City, disclosed that it is no longer important for them to recruit new members due to the UNegA and Love Negros coalition.
The 31 mayors of Negros Occidental are slated to meet on July 11 in Talisay City, to elect the new set of officers of the Negros ACE (Association of Chief Executives), previously headed by Victorias City Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez, who is now a congressman of the Negros Occidental 3rd district.
Escalante admitted that he is being groomed to be the next president of Negros ACE, being the most senior mayor in Negros Occidental. He is in the last of his second set of terms as mayor of Cadiz City.
Saying some mayors want him for the post, Escalante said he is inclined to accept.
Asked if UNegA and Love Negros need to discuss the Negros ACE presidency, he said the coalition and merger of two political group is still holding and strong.
Negros Occidental 2nd district Rep. Alfredo Maranon III is the UNegA party chairman, with returning Negros Occidental 4th district Rep. Jeffrey Ferrer as the president. On the
other hand, Bacolod Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez leads the Love Negros political group.
Asked if he be will endorsed by Rep. Javi Benitez to lead the Negros ACE, Escalante said they have not met recently.
Before Benitez, the Negros ACE was led by former Victorias City Mayor Francis Frederick Palanca.