By CESAR JOLITO III

Cadiz City Mayor Salvador Escalante, Jr. is being pushed by fellow local chief executives to become the next president of the Association of Chief Executives (ACE) in Negros Occidental.

Escalante, who is serving his final term as mayor, is currently the most senior among the newly seated mayors following the 2025 elections.

He previously held the post for three consecutive terms before returning to the position.

In an interview, Escalante admitted he has yet to make a decision on the proposal, but he is finding it difficult to turn down the support being shown by his colleagues.

“It’s true that I’m the most senior mayor right now. I’m on my last term in my second set, and many are saying it’s about time,” Escalante said.

“I haven’t decided yet, but I might. It would be hard to say no,” he added.

Mayors from across the province are set to convene on Friday, July 11, to discuss leadership within the ACE.

Escalante, who also serves as Secretary General of the United Negros Alliance (UNegA), noted that around 17 to 18 of the 31 mayors in Negros Occidental are members of the group.

The rest are either aligned with Love Negros or are independent.

Despite the internal alignments, Escalante emphasized that the coalition between Love Negros and UNegA remains intact.

The ACE presidency was previously held by former Victorias City Mayor and now 3rd District Representative Javier Miguel Benitez./CJ, WDJ