Macias airs plan to run for Congress

CEBU, Philippines - Negros Oriental Provincial Board Member Erwin Michael Macias, a member of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, has announced his willingness to run for a congressional seat in the 2nd district under the ticket of Governor Roel Degamo, who is party-less at this time.

Macias, like his father the late governor and congressman Emilio Macias II, has been with the NPC since he became PB member, then city councilor and back as PB member.

Macias was with Degamo in Mabinay town the other day during the turnover of the P1.2-million spillway and 200-meter road concreting project, under the Kalahi-CIDDSS program. During the event, Degamo introduced Macias as the next congressman of the 2nd district.

Degamo, in welcoming Macias to his camp, said he would not want to comment on why this happened to the NPC group in the province. It is not far fetch that more NPC members would gravitate to the provincial leadership, especially in Dumaguete City, said the governor.

Dumaguete City Mayor Manuel Sagarbarria, also of the NPC, said he was told by incumbent 2nd District Representative George Arnaiz, the NPC titular head in Negros Oriental that Macias had informed the congressman and asked for permission to run for Congress in the 2016 elections.

Sagarbarria said Macias is his relative and he has nothing against the latter. “I have no ill-feelings against Macias. He has the right and the privilege of running as congressman in the 2nd district. If that is his dream, let him pursue his dream because I also have my own dreams. But for now there’s still lot of work to be done in Dumaguete,” said the mayor.

Sagarbarria also told The Freeman he may be running for Congress also and is leaving the mayoralty to Vice Mayor Woodrow Maquiling but it was not clear yet on who will be the latter’s runningmate. Maquiling was formerly with the Liberal Party before joining the NPC in the 2013 election.

There were also unconfirmed reports that City Councilor Lilani Ramon might run for mayor of Dumaguete also, but Sagarbarria said he has yet to hear it personally from Ramon herself.