BACOLOD CITY — Sixty local government officials in Negros Occidental and Bacolod City have resigned as members of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP), Bacolod City Mayor Albee Benitez said on Monday.

Benitez said the local officials met at his residence in Capitolville Subdivision on Saturday and signed an irrevocable resignation from the political party.

Of the total number of party members who resigned, eight are mayors, five are vice mayors and the rest are city or municipal councilors.

"We will just resign en masse, as a group. And we will make a decision in the near future," Benitez said.

Benitez added that as PDP members "we were not even invited in their gatherings and meetings, so what do you expect?"

"It's not that we did not heed their call but we were not invited," the mayor said.

A source, who was at the meeting but requested not to be identified, said some of the mayors who were not able to attend the meeting sent their councilors on their behalf.

Earlier, Victorias City Vice Mayor Abelardo Bantug Jr. and nine city councilors also left the party.

This was after lawyer Jesus Hinlo, deputy secretary general of PDP Visayas, announced that the party is supporting former Victorias City mayor Francis Frederick Palanca's bid for governor of Negros Occidental in the 2025 elections.

Most of the PDP members in Negros Occidental are either affiliated with two local political parties United Negros Alliance and Love Negros, both of which has expressed their full support to the reelection bid of Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson.

Bantug said they have not yet decided if they will join the party of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas.

He added that they will come out with a signed manifesto in the coming days.