By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD CITY – Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson hinted at who will be his running mate in the 2025 elections, saying that “it only lacks an official announcement.”
The governor told reporters on Wednesday that “officially it has not been announced, but I think everybody already knows who this person is.”
“It just needs the official announcement from UNegA (United Negros Alliance),” Lacson said.
Lacson, who heads the Love Negros Team, also reiterated that their coalition with UNegA remains strong.
“We have had this alliance since 2019,” he added.
With the alliance, Love Negros Team and UNegA agreed not to field opponents for their respective official candidates in 2019.
Lacson ran for governor and Jeffrey Ferrer for vice governor, and both won. The same arrangement was repeated in the 2022 elections for their re-election bids, which also succeeded.
However, Ferrer has officially declared that he will not seek a third and final term as vice governor and will instead return to the fourth district for the congressional race, as his wife, Rep. Marie Juliet Ferrer, is on her last term.
Lacson said it is public knowledge that Provincial Board Member Joven Alonso, Ferrer’s most trusted man, is rumored to run as vice governor and will be his running mate in the 2025 elections.
On the other hand, Ferrer, a former lawmaker of the fourth district for three terms before being succeeded by his wife, is said to be challenged by former Department of Public Works and Highways regional director Lea Delfinado.
Meanwhile, Lacson said they are encouraging former governor Elpidio Zayco to stay on as president of the Nationalist People’s Coalition.
Zayco earlier signified his intention to step down and just be a member of the political party.
Lacson said, “He wanted to step down, but we encouraged him to stay on. In fact, if you ask me, I would like to have him because he is the most senior of the NPC and he was also the favorite of the late Danding Cojuangco.”
