  The extension of the standard model to $SU(3)_L\times SU(3)_R \times SU(3)_C$
is considered. Spontaneous symmetry breaking requires two $(3^*, 3, 1)$ Higgs
field multiplets with a strong hierarchical structure of their vacuum
expectation values. An invariant potential is constructed to provide for these
vacuum expectation values. This potential gives masses to all scalar fields
apart from the 15 Goldstone bosons. In case there exists a one-to-one
correspondence between the vacuum expectation values of the two field
multiplets, the scalar boson spectrum contains degenerate eigenstates. The
lowest eigenstate has a mass near 123 GeV close to the Higgs-like particle
discovered at the LHC. In one class of solutions this lowest state is a nearly
degenerate twin state. Each member is a superposition of fields from both
multiplets with about equal strength. The twins are non identical twins, namely
different combinations of a conventional Higgs and a Higgs field which is not
coupled to fermions, only to gauge bosons. A second class of solutions leads
again to degenerate states but in this case the state near 123 GeV remains a
single state even for identical low scale vacuum expectation values in both
multiplets.
