NPC for Poe? Party allows ‘free zone’ in Negros Occidental

Marchel P. Espina

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NPC for Poe? Party allows ‘free zone’ in Negros Occidental
Kabankalan Mayor Isidro Zayco, NPC chair in Negros Occidental, doesn't know if party leaders have given the same 'clearance' to members in other provinces

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – While the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) had endorsed the candidacies of Grace Poe and Francis Escudero, Negros Occidental would remain a “zona libre” (free zone), where local members are allowed to support their choice of presidential and vice presidential candidates.

This was confirmed by Kabankalan City Mayor Isidro Zayco, NPC provincial chairman, late Monday, February 29. He said there was an “arrangement” for Negros Occidental to remain a “free zone” and it was approved by the party’s leadership 3 months ago. 

Negros Occidental is one of the vote-rich provinces, with an estimated 1.6 million registered voters. 

“We are allowed to choose who we want to support” for president and vice president, Zayco said, citing the “clearance” from party officials.

There are 12 mayors, including Zayco, who belong to the NPC in the province.

Zayco said that the NPC understands why he is supporting the bid of Liberal Party standard-bearer Manuel Roxas II and his running mate Camarines Sur Representative Maria Leonor Robredo.

He said Roxas, as local government secretary, was instrumental in the creation of the Negros Island Region, which separated Negros Occidental from Western Visayas and Negros Oriental from Central Visayas.

The mayor cited the potential developments in his city once the regional centers are established at the boundaries of Kabankalan in Negros Occidental and Mabinay town in Negros Oriental 3 years from now.

Zayco said he doesn’t know if there are other provinces or local government units that were declared a “free zone” by NPC.

Vice Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, who is also an NPC member, earlier declared support for Roxas’ bid.

Other NPC members in the province have yet to declare their choice for president and vice president. They include Bacolod Representative Evelio Leonardia, the NPC chairman in Bacolod chairman, and Negros Occidental 6th District Representative Mercedes Alvarez.

House Deputy Speaker Giorgidi Aggabao, NPC national president, announced Monday that Poe and Escudero are their candidates for president and vice president, respectively, as 90% of the NPC members via secret voting decided to support their tandem.

Earlier, NPC met with the presidential bets including Poe, Roxas, Vice President Jejomar Binay and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

The endorsement caused confusion among NPC members, however, with some of them claiming they were not consulted or informed about it. Even the other presidential bets doubted that the NPC members are solidly behind the tandem. – Rappler.com 

 

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