Negros Occidental officials, including 28 mayors, signed a manifesto of support urging former Rep. Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez to run for mayor of Bacolod City.
They signed the manifesto at a meeting of the United Negros Alliance and Love Negros led by Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer at the Nature’s Village Resort in Talisay City, Negros Occidental, Friday, April 23.
“United as one – United Negros Alliance and Love Negros supports Run Albee Run for Mayor of Bacolod City” was the message on the tarpaulin behind the head table at the meeting.
Cadiz Mayor Salvador Escalante, UNegA secretary general, said the manifesto was signed by 28 of the 31 mayors of Negros Occidental.
Not present at the meeting were Sipalay Mayor Maria Gina Montilla Lizares and Murcia Mayor Victor Gerardo Rojas who had tested positive for COVID-19, and Hinoba-an Mayor Ernesto Estrao.
Ferrer said he along with the governor and board members present also signed the manifesto, which has the support of the representatives of the six congressional districts of Negros Occidental.
Benitez, in response, said “I will still have to keep my options open, there are certain things I would like to clarify about running in Bacolod”.
“Any public servant cannot ignore the clamor and the call of the people. Let’s Just put it at that,” he said, adding that he will be going around Bacolod to get a feel of the situation.
The call to run for mayor of Bacolod “is giving me sleepless nights…it’s not a simple decision, it’s no joke, there are a lot of factors that I would like to consider before I would really throw in my hat”, he said.
He still has until October to file his certificate of candidacy, said Benitez, who thanked all his supporters.
Benitez said he still has to make a final decision before he starts drawing up his slate.
Escalante said the governor asked that the contents of the manifesto be withheld until Benitez decides to run for mayor of Bacolod City, which was accepted by the assembly.
The gist of the manifesto was the need for Bacolod City and Negros Occidental to be in sync with each other, in the fight against COVID-19 and in their economic recovery plans, Escalante said.
The mayors want change, Bacolod City and Negros Occidental cannot even be in sync on a simple thing like curfew to curb the spread of COVID-19, Bacolod’s starts at 11 p.m. while in the rest of the province it begins at 8 p.m., Escalante said.
There are probably millions of reasons but that is one glaring example, he said.
House Minority Floor Leader Stephen Paduano said his Abang Lingkod partylist group in Bacolod City will support whatever decision Benitez makes.
Leonardia could not be reached for comment.*