Let’s fight poverty together,
Marañon appeals to rebels
BY CARLA GOMEZ

Negros Occidental Governor-elect Alfredo Marañon Jr. in his inaugural address Saturday, appealed to rebel groups still waging an armed struggle in the mountains to instead work with him in the fight against poverty in the province.

“I appeal to you. Let us put an end to this aimless struggle and division. Let us channel our energies to work together to fight poverty, not each other,” Marañon said.

Marañon took his oath before Court of Appeals Associate Justice Edgardo delos Santos, while Vice Governor-elect Genaro Alvarez Jr. took his before his cousin, outgoing Gov. Isidro Zayco, in front of the provincial Capitol in Bacolod City Saturday afternoon.

Times have changed, indeed.

Rep. Ignacio Arroyo Jr. (Neg. Occ., 5th District), brother-in-law of outgoing President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, is the lone Lakas-Kampi-CMD congressman left in Negros Occidental and the only one who plans to vote for Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman for Speaker of the House.

On Saturday, he said his sister-in-law, who is the incoming congresswoman of Pampanga, wants to stay behind the scenes, and solidify Lakas-Kampi-CMD.

Negros Occidental Vice Governor-elect Genaro Alvarez Jr. joked that he chose his cousin, outgoing Gov. Isidro Zayco, to administer his oath at the Capitol rites Saturday, “so we will not fight anymore.”

However, both Zayco and Alvarez stumbled through the words of the oath   that was in Pilipino, which they had difficulty pronouncing, to their own amusement and that of the audience.

The cousins, who have had political differences in the past, reunited in the last election, and Zayco delivered a huge margin for Alvarez and Governor-elect Alfredo Marañon Jr. in Kabankalan City.