Gatuslao backs out of 5th district race

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Negros Occidental Provincial Board Member Alain Gatuslao announced he was abandoning plans to run to represent Negros Occidental’s fifth congressional district, paving the way for Marilou Arroyo-Lesaca, the sister of former Negros Occidental fifth district Rep. Ignacio ‘Iggy’ Arroyo, Jr., to succeed incumbent Rep. Alejandro Mirasol, who is currently serving his third and final term.

Board Member Salvador Escalante, Jr., who serves as secretary-general for the United Negros Alliance (UNegA), revealed talks were conducted between the Gatuslao and Arroyo families and that the incumbent board member will likely run for reelection instead.

Escalante earlier named Gatuslao as the official candidate for UNegA; however, despite the merger between UNegA and Love Negros, Negros Occidental Vice Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson recently confirmed Love Negros was endorsing Arroyo-Lesaca.

The late congressman served from 2004 until his passing in 2012, when he was replaced by Mirasol.

Arroyo-Lesaca formally filed her certificate of candidacy yesterday./DGB, WDJ