Former Bacolod City Vice Mayor Renecito Novero has confirmed that two known businessmen in the city will be running as councilors under his ticket in the upcoming 2013 election.
However, Novero stressed that he agreed with the group of councilors known as the “First Five” before they left to attend the Philippine Councilors’ League convention in Manila not to reveal the names of the two probable candidates for councilor. “They will be presented to the public in proper time,” he said. This development came after the four incumbent councilors from the “First Five”, namely: Lawyer Archie Baribar, Elmer Sy, Sonya Verdeflor and El Cid Familiaran, announced their decision to join Novero. The former vice mayor said he is happy to get the support of the five councilors including last term Councilor Catalino Alisbo. When pressed about the identity of the businessmen, Novero described them as “honorable, hard-working individuals, sincere, trustworthy, no bad record, with good moral standing and know how to follow the law. And, both have not been in politics,” Novero added. “Though these personalities are from the business sector, they are competent to represent any sector in society,” the former vice mayor claimed. Novero said there were offers for him to run for a higher post but he opted to seek the position of the vice mayor for practical reasons. “For now, my main objective is to return as vice-mayor of Bacolod since I have only rendered one term. And I believe that I haven’t done any wrong to the city,” he stressed. He added that among his priorities are education, peace and order, housing projects, traffic and environment. “I am looking at providing our city college the needed support particularly for the indigents who are studying in this institution,” he said. Bacolod City College was established based on the ordinance authored by Novero, when he was still a city councilor. Novero stressed that he can only achieve these goals if there are competent legislators in the Sangguniang Panlungsod. “If the council will be filled with sincere and straight forward elected officials, whoever sits as Mayor will becautious of doing unlawful actions. Though, we can work hand-in-hand with the city’s chief executive if his program will benefit the Bacolod populace,” he added. As he cited his performance as vice mayor of Bacolod, Novero said “I can say that I had been sincere, competent and straight forward in holding this position.” INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE Novero said despite the negative reactions toward their group’s status as independent candidates, he remains optimistic that they will able to achieve their goal. “Many said that we are weak because we don’t have the machinery and resources. But we have faith that the people of Bacolod are our machinery and resources because they are the only ones who can judge us. They are the ones who can make us win or lose as well as put us into office,” he said. The former vice mayor explained that their group will not endorse candidates seeking higher office such as the congressional and mayoralty posts. “What the group had agreed is that we will not officially endorse a candidate for congressional and mayoralty posts. But it doesn’t prevent any of us from supporting individually, according to our own personal conviction, a candidate for the said positions. For now, our group is definitely solid as far as the vice mayor and the councilors are concerned,” he said. “I won’t attack or favor anybody unless something miraculous comes out later on,” he said. P34M PAY CHECK Novero laughed off rumors that his benefactor, Lawyer Simplicio Palanca of the Bacolod Real Estate Development Corporation, has paid P34 million to the Grupo Progreso of Mayor Evelio Leonardia in order to secure the position as the vice mayoralty running mate of Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson. “Where will I get that huge amount of money? I don’t have that amount and if I do, I would rather keep it. These people are good in making up stories,” he stressed.
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