Senators Grace Poe and Francis “Chiz” Escudero. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — It was the turn of Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) members from the south to meet Senators Grace Poe and Francis “Chiz” Escudero.
The two senators were guests at a dinner attended by 50 NPC elected officials from the Visayas and Mindanao at the party’s club house at Balete Drive in Quezon City on Tuesday night.
The gathering was part of the party’s selection process and identification of prospective candidates to determine the party’s policy direction, said Bacolod Rep. Evelio Leonardia who was present at the meeting.
“It was a room full of laughter. It was a happy occasion and intimate,” Leonardia said.
“We did not talk much about politics. It was a just a friendly social gathering,” he added.
Negros Occidental Vice Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, who also attended the dinner, said the meeting didn’t accomplish much as far as party members from Negros Occidental were concerned.
“It turned out to be a ‘meet Senator Poe’ meeting which we have done here in Negros (Occidental). We were hoping that some policy issue would be discussed, but I guess we expected too much,” said Lacson said.
Leonardia said the NPC members were not given marching orders on whom to support for president. It was just a jovial affair, he said.
Kabankalan Mayor Isidro Zayco, NPC Negros Occidental chairman, said they did not discuss politics.
Zayco and Lacson earlier have aired their preference for Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas for president whom they credited for pushing the Negros Island Region, composed of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental.
Aside from Leonardia, Zayco and Lacson, also in the meeting were NPC chairman Faustino Dy Jr. and NPC president Giorgidi Aggabao.
Representatives Mercedes Alvarez of 6th district and Stephen Paduano of Abang Lingkod; Mayors Agustin Bascon of Himamaylan, Oscar Montilla of Sipalay City and Ramon Torres of Bago City; and Vice Mayors Greg Gasataya of Bacolod and Nicholas Yulo of Bago City were the attendees from Negros Occidental. Carla P. Gomez, Inquirer Visayas