Victorias City Mayor Javier Miguel “Javi” Benitez would be the strongest candidate for congressman of the 3rd District of Negros Occidental in 2025, his father Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez said on Saturday, August 17.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday appointed Rep. Francisco Benitez as the new Director General of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) leaving the 3rd District congressional seat vacant.
The Bacolod mayor said the announcement of the appointment of his brother, Rep. Benitez, came as a surprise as there was no prior communication from the Office of the President.
They did not ask or lobby for the TESDA post, he said. The president appointed Rep. Benitez based on the recommendations of stakeholders who know his capacity as an educator, the Bacolod mayor said.
He will attend the turnover of the TESDA leadership to his brother on Monday, the mayor added.
The Bacolod mayor said they have not discussed who will run for congressman in place of Rep. Benitez.
“We will ask the 3rd District (people) who their preference is… Mayor Javi would be the strongest candidate for congressman”, he said.
House Speaker Martin Romualdez will be the automatic caretaker of the 3rd District of Negros Occidental unless he appoints somebody else, the Bacolod mayor said.
“Because we are too close to the elections most likely a caretaker will be appointed. It would be useless to have a special election,” he said, with the next polls set in May next year.
He also said that the status quo would remain for the third district congressional staff.
Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson also said it is highly possible that Speaker Romualdez would be the caretaker of the 3rd District.
Personally he believes Rep. Stephen Paduano (Abang Lingkod Partylist) would be the logical choice to act as caretaker because of his familiarity with the 3rd District, Lacson said.
Rep. Emilio Yulo III (Neg. Occ., 5th District), in a message to Rep. Benitez, said “It is sad to see you go as a colleague in the House but I know you can do so much for the country”.
The Victorias mayor, in his congratulatory message to his uncle Rep. Benitez, said “With the Philippines expected to have the youngest population in Asia, your leadership is crucial in turning this demographic strength into a future-ready nation.
“Your plans of upskilling Filipinos in AI, cybersecurity, data analytics, and other emerging technologies gives us confidence that our youth are going to be well-prepared to navigate a rapidly evolving world”.*