Local News: Several Local Officials Have Decided to Jump Political Ship to Join Liberal Party

The season of jumping ship abandoning one’s political party and joining another which will personally benefit them the most, but former Governor and Kabankalan City Mayor Isidro Zayco has not yet thought of resorting to this, Zayco stated in an interview with Aksyon Radyo Bacolod.

Zayco said he started with the marginalized now, Lakas-NUCD, and although he has been propositioned by Liberal Party (LP) stalwart Congressman Albee Benitez to jump ship and join the party, he has not yet thought of doing just that.

There are scores of local officials from the fifth to sixth districts who are members of Lakas NUCD who have not yet made the move of abandoning the party which held sway during the period former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was its recognized head.

This came about after a report that 12 chief executives are set to take their oaths of office as Liberal Party (LP) members during an assembly to be called by Benitez with President Benigno Aquino III, as special guest.

Although, he has not yet changed affiliations, the party is still part of the United Negros Alliance (UNA).

But there are already local politicians who have jumped over to the LP or who will decide to join the LP during the May 4 assembly, Zayco said.
It was however, Talisay City Mayor Eric Saratan who had jumped the gun first by earlier joining the LP.

NNF learned that several local officials have decided to now jump ship and took the oath of office as members of the Liberal Party in the province under the auspices of organizers especially Congressman Albee Benitez.

They are Sagay City Mayor Leo Rafael Cueva, Cadiz City’s Patrick Escalante, Ernesto Agustin of Himamaylan City, Teresa Bilbao of Hinobaan, Francisco Malabor of Isabela, Juliet Marie Ferrer of La Carlota City, Alberto Nicor Jr. of La Castellana, Lourdes Escalante of Manapla, Francisco Nazareno of Moises Padilla, Marxlen de la Cruz of Don Salvador Benedicto, Jose Montelibano of Silay City, Severo Palanca of Victorias City, and Hermilo Aguilar of Hinigaran town, Southern Negros.* (Edgar Cadagat)