By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Former Himamaylan City Vice Mayor Raymund Tongson and current City Councilor Justin Gatuslao, who are running for Himamaylan City mayor and vice mayor respectively in the upcoming 2019 midterm elections, expressed confidence in victory after receiving the endorsement of Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon, Jr.

During a press conference yesterday, the mayoral aspirant called the endorsement “a big help.”

He noted, their tandem already has a complete slate of councilors but he cannot yet reveal their identities.

Meanwhile, Gatuslao called the current situation in Himamaylan City “traditional.”

“Everything is very traditional because those who run the show are very old and traditional in their mindset,” he explained.

“There is a very strong anti-progress movement in Himamaylan right now,” the city councilor noted. “It is not a Gatuslao who [has been] leading Himamaylan [over] the past 30 years, but a Bascon.”

He added, however, there is “no clash of clans” or a battle among big families in the city./DGB, WDJ