BACOLOD CITY — For Negros Occidental 5th District Rep. Emilio Yulo, this is not the right time to talk about politics.
"It is not the right time for politics. It is unfair to the people now that with the climate change, armyworms have been confirmed to have infested crops in parts of Isabela, Himamaylan and Binalbagan," said Yulo.
He made the comment in response to a recent meeting of five of the six mayors of the province's fifth district with former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (GMA) in her home in La Vista, Quezon City, on Wednesday.
The former president was spotted meeting with five mayors from the fifth district of the province.
The meeting triggered rumors that her niece, Dina Arroyo-Tantoco, will run against Yulo for a congressional seat in the district in the House of Representatives.
Arroyo-Tantoco is the daughter of the late Negros Occidental representative Ignacio Arroyo, younger brother of Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo, husband of the former president, who also served as congressman of the district.
"There is a time for everything. We will come to that. It is best that we focus on the needs of the people," said Yulo.
The incumbent representative won over GMA's sister-in-law during the 2022 elections from 2004 to 2012.
He passed away at a hospital in London in 2012 while on his last and final term as congressman.
Spotted at the meeting with the Arroyos were Mayors Rhumyla Nicor-Manglimutan of La Castellana, Alejandro Mirasol of Binalbagan, Ella Celestina Garcia-Yulo of Moises Padilla and Irene Montilla of Isabela, and son Vice Mayor Miguel Montilla.
Also at the meeting was Board Member Anton Occeño (fifth district) and former first gentleman Mike Arroyo.
Arroyo clan owns huge tracts of land in the district from Isabela to La Castellana.
'No endorsement discussed'
Occeño denied that the mayors endorsed their candidate for representative during a gathering at the house of former president Arroyo.
Arroyo-Tantoco is rumored to be planning to run against incumbent Rep. Emilio "Dino" Yulo III for the fifth congressional seat of Negros Occidental, a post previously held by her late father Ignacio Arroyo and aunt Marilou Arroyo.
Occeño said the Arroyos just want to help the district, but Arroyo-Tantoco's running for representative was not discussed.
"It is too early to say," he said.
Mangilimutan also denied that they discussed Arroyo-Tantoco's political plans at the meeting.
"Dina has not announced that she will run, we cannot guess what their plans are," she said.
Coalition will listen to the mayors – Gov
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said the Love Negros-United Negros Alliance coalition will listen to the sentiments of the mayors of the fifth district of Negros Occidental on who to support for representative in the 2025 polls.
"I don't think that it will be left to the leaders of the coalition to decide. [But] of course, we will listen to their sentiments," the governor said.