Billionaire businessman Alfredo “Albee” Benitez (PDP-Laban) defeated longtime Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia (NP) by a wide margin in Monday’s polls.
Benitez, who heads Team Asenso, and the other winning candidates of Bacolod City were proclaimed winners Tuesday morning, May 10.
Benitez won with 171,893 votes, while Leonardia garnered 107,447 votes.
Leonardia, who was mayor of Bacolod from June 30, 2004 to June 30, 2013 and June 30, 2016 to the present, is also a former congressman of the city. Benitez is a former representative of the third district of Negros Occidental.
The mayor-elect’s brother Rep. Francisco Benitez also won a second term as congressman of the 3rd District of Negros Occidental and his son Javi Benitez won as mayor of Victorias City.
Incumbent Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran (NP) who ran under Leonardia’s Grupo Progreso (GP) won with 128,893 votes to defeat Ceasar Distrito, running mate of Benitez, who garnered 103,236 votes.
Incumbent Rep. Greg Gasataya (NPC) of Team Asenso overwhelmingly won with 185,470 votes against businessman Dan Atayde of GP who garnered 80,591 votes.
Eight of the 12 winning councilors of Bacolod also are from the Benitez team.
The winning councilors are Thaddy Sayson who garnered 134,635 votes, Israel Salanga – 123,237, Cindy Rojas – 122,629, Em Ang – 116,953, Al Espino – 115,197, Vladimir Gonzalez – 113,145, Renecito Novero – 113,046, Jason Villarosa – 111,027, Kalaw Puentevella – 108,950, Simple Distrito – 107,030, Celia Flor – 103,768 and Pao Sy – 98,978.
Salanga, Rojas, Ang and Novero are GP members, while the rest are from Team Asenso.
Novero was not at the group proclamation of the winning candidates at the Bacolod City Government Center Tuesday morning.
Benitez said he felt the support of the people during the rallies but he was a bit surprised that he won by such a wide margin.
He said his team will regroup and start preparing to implement the programs they promised the people during the campaign.
They will be creating a team to coordinate with the current administration for a smooth transition so they can work properly moving forward, he added.
“We will rest for two days and get down to business,“ Benitez said.
The current job order casuals of the city government will have no problem under his administration as long as they are working, Benitez said.
Now is the time to bring the change and hope the people of Bacolod have been looking for, Benitez said.
Benitez’s wife, Dominique Lopez Benitez, said she just wants to tell the Bacolodnons that her husband is “a very good leader and is very selfless.”*