Special Polls in 5th Dist., Negros Occ 4 named in list of likely candidates

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Going into the May 23 filing of candidacies for the June 2 special elections to replace the late Rep. Iggy Arroyo in the 5th district of Negros Occidental, jockeying among possible candidates for political endorsements has intensified.

Four names have so far been floated about as probable candidates: Binalbagan town Mayor Alejandrino Mirasol, Provincial Board Members Melvin Ibañez and Emilio Yulo III, and Grace Ibuna.

Two others, former Mayor Renato Malabor and former PB Member Enrique Montilla, both of Isabela town, have earlier signified plans to run but they have yet to be in the list of choices to be considered by political leaders. Another possible candidate, Maria Lourdes “Marilou” Arroyo-Lesaca, sister of Iggy, has officially withdrawn her participation.

The United Negros Alliance, the dominant local political party in the province, has yet to decide on who will be its candidate and its executive committee officers and members in the 5th District have failed to decide on the matter last week and have agreed to wait instead for the results of a consensus in the district.

Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr, chairman of the UNA, said the party is choosing between Mirasol and Ibañez. The local consensus, on the other hand, is choosing between Mirasol and his nephew Yulo III, who both have agreed to hold a consensus voting between their families and supporters in the district on who between them will run.

Sources said that if Mirasol wins in the consensus, UNA will choose him also, but if Yulo wins, then UNA will field Ibañez.

Initially, Mirasol was bruited to be the likely bet of UNA because Malacañang was reportedly influencing the party to choose him. He was the first mayor in Negros Occidental to have publicly declared his support for President Benigno Aquino III in the 2010 elections.

The consensus between Mirasol and Yulo last Saturday was however called off due to alleged vote-buying and the failure of both camps to decide on the manner of voting. The ‘grease money’ of P3,000 allegedly distributed to each local official in the district was reportedly one of the reasons for the ‘deadlock’ in the consensus.

The alleged vote-buying among the delegates, composed of more than 750 local officials, reportedly irked Yulo and prompted him to call off the consensus and declare that he is running for the post. “There was a deadlock,” Yulo said in citing the reason for his decision to call off the consensus voting.

On the manner of voting, Yulo wanted to conduct the voting through “checking” while Mirasol wanted the voter’s name be written on the ballot. “We reached a deadlock on the ballot. There were two contending proposals. I wanted to conduct it through checking because I believe it is more accurate,” Yulo said.

Since the consensus will no longer push through, both of them may turn out to be candidates. “What will happen is that we will both run,” Yulo said, adding that “only divine intervention” can stop him from running and that it would not be possible for him to arrive at an agreement soon with Mirasol, at least before the filing of candidacies on May 23.

Mirasol, in a separate interview, also confirmed the “stalemate” but he said the matter will be resolved between the two of them. “We will see what will transpire in the next days,” he added.

At least 750 officials composed of mayors, vice mayors, councilors, barangay captains and councilmen from the towns of Hinigaran, Binalbagan, Moises Padilla, and La Castellana, and the city of Himamaylan will choose between Mirasol and Yulo.

Ibuna, long-time partner of Iggy, said she will run for congresswoman in the special polls if her bet, Mirasol, backs out of the race or is not chosen in a consensus voting. “I can trust Mirasol to continue the projects that Iggy had started in the district,” said Ibuna, who is a registered voter of La Castellana town.