The online campaign urging former Negros Occidental representative Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez to run for senator in 2022 has gained support.
“We Negrenses have always wanted a senator for the province, and no better person than Cong Albee would best represent us,” Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said.
Two Facebook pages – “Visayas for Albee Benitez – Senator 2022” and “Albee Negros” – surfaced late last week urging Benitez to run for senator in 2022.
Sugar Board Member Emilio Yulo III said Saturday that “any additional warm body in the senate who will support the sugar industry is a welcome development.”
“We know that the last bastion of the sugar industry has always been the Senate in the past few years so one more warm body is indeed good for the province of Negros Occidental and the sugar industry,” Yulo said.
Benitez is the author of the Sugar Industry Development Act that grants an annual allocation of P2 billion for the development of the sugar industry.
Concern has been raised over the Sugar Regulatory Administration’s under utilization of the fund.
Yulo said there is a need to reconcile the percentage utilization rate of the fund.
SRA had a fairly high utilization rate but the Department of Budget and Management reported a lower figure, Yulo said.*