Politics in the 1st Congressional District in Oriental Negros is not dependent on whether or not President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is supporting who," last-termer Rep. Jacinto Paras said Monday at the Dumaguete Airport while waiting for the arrival of the President.

"We earned it through our own merits," Paras said.

He claimed he as well as his wife, Olive, who is running for the congressional seat in the first district have the support of the President.

He said that seven out of nine mayors in the district are behind the candidacy of his wife.

Also running for congress in the first district are La Libertad Mayor Jocelyn Limkaichong and former Rep. Jerome Paras, brother of the incumbent solon. Meanwhile, from 2001 up to the present, Vice Mayor Rosa Yap-Paras of Bindoy is the sister of Mayor Valente Yap. In this year's elections, the vice mayor got the endorsement of 21 barangay captains to run for mayor, and the last termer mayor will be her vice mayoralty candidate.

In Valencia, Mayor Rodolfo Gonzales Jr. has declared his neutrality on the congressional derby in the third district. Gonzales said it would be better for this way because the candidates are his nephew Henry Pryde Teves and cousin Edgar Teves.

Teves is the grandson of last-termer Rep. Herminio Teves, and Edgar Teves is former mayor of Valencia as well as former vice governor of the province.

Rep. Teves said he will support for his grandson.*JG

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