By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD CITY — A senior official of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) in Negros Occidental withheld comment Thursday on reports of a looming mass resignation within the party.
“I will comment after it happens,” Atty. Jayvee Hinlo, Provincial Council President of PDP Negros Occidental, told the Daily Guardian.
According to Hinlo, only the vice mayor and councilors of Victorias City have resigned so far. He became aware of their resignation through social media, and PDP headquarters confirmed receiving the notice.
Regarding the broader reports of numerous PDP elected officials resigning, Hinlo stated, “I have no confirmation if the same happened already. I will just comment if it happens.”
Earlier this week, Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo “Albee” Benitez revealed that a mass resignation of PDP members in the province was imminent.
Benitez, who ran under the PDP banner in the 2022 elections, noted that many PDP elected officials in Negros Occidental are members of the Love Negros–United Negros Alliance coalition supporting the re-election bid of Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson.
Benitez affirmed his commitment to supporting Lacson’s bid for a third term.
The resignation issue surfaced after Victorias City Vice Mayor Abelardo Bantug III and nine city councilors submitted their irrevocable resignations to PDP Laban president, Palawan Rep. Jose Alvarez.
This decision followed Hinlo’s announcement that former Victorias City Mayor Wantan Palanca might challenge Lacson in 2025.
The officials criticized the party’s leadership in Negros Occidental for failing to consult with them, emphasizing that decisions should be made inclusively.
“It appears that the leadership of PDP-Laban in Negros Occidental under Atty. Hinlo has overlooked the basic principle that an organization should promote inclusivity through ‘consultation before decision,’ not the other way around,” they stated in a letter.
They concluded that the direction of PDP-Laban no longer aligned with the principles they wished to uphold as public servants.
Hinlo responded by saying nothing was final regarding Palanca’s candidacy, as he had not yet decided.
“We will wait for the resignations and will work with those who remain. We will continue to expand,” Hinlo added.
