A Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats and Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino arbitration committee could settle disputes involving mayoralty bets in the third district of Negros Occidental, Rep. Ignacio Arroyo Jr. (Neg. Occ., 5th district), KAMPI regional chairman, said yesterday.

However, this will not stop individual bets from running as independents, he said. Third district mayors Severo Palanca - Victorias, Alfonso Gamboa - EB Magalona, Carlo Gamban - Silay, Eric Saratan - Talisay and Esteban Coscolluela - Murcia recently joined KAMPI.

Coscolluela said they did not join KAMPI to put up a candidate against Rep. Jose Carlos Lacson (Neg. Occ., 3rd district) who is a member of the Lakas CMD.

Lacson had earlier said he is supporting the mayoralty bids of David Lacson in EB Magalona and that of Jose "Oti" Montelibano in Silay City.

He, however, could not be reached for comment as of press time yesterday on how the people he may support to run against the incumbent mayors would be affected by party coalition agreements.

Gov. Joseph Marañon said he has nothing to do with businessman Ramon Lacson's decision not to run for mayor of Talisay against Saratan.

He said he does not know how the political alliance on the national level will be followed in the third district.

The governor said his ally in the third district is Rep. Lacson.

The Lakas-CMD and four of its coalition partners in Team Unity are close to reaching an agreement on the fielding of common candidates in all local positions to preserve coalition unity and achieve a landslide victory in the May 14 elections, a press release from House of Representatives said yesterday.

This followed a unanimous accord among the coalition partners to uphold the equity of incumbent rule in the selection of these candidates during a meeting at Malacañang Palace presided over by President Arroyo, Lakas national chair, the press release said. Speaker Jose de Venecia, the Lakas CMD president, said the "breakthrough agreement" at the top-level Arbitration Committee has ensured "cohesion and unity" in the coalition three months before the national and local elections.

The four other coalition partners are Kampi, the Nationalist People's Coalition, Liberal Party-Atienza Wing and the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino, each of which is represented in the Arbitration committee.

De Venecia said 80 percent of the coalition conflicts have been ironed out through the principle of the equity of the incumbent, and the Arbitration Committee pledged to meet regularly under rotating chairmanships to resolve the remaining conflicts and ensure victory for the pro-administration senatorial and local bets.*CPG

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