“That’s fake news.”
That was the reaction of EB Magalona Mayor Marvin Malacon on Monday, February 14, to rumors that he and Rep. Stephen Paduano (Abang Lingkod partylist) almost got into a fist fight over who among them should be the campaign manager of Bacolod mayoral candidate Alfredo “Albee” Benitez.
Malacon said he would not fight with his congressman, that is all fake news coming from Bacolod City. It’s more of political maneuvering by some people, he said.
In fact, there was a motocross in EB Magalona on Sunday sponsored by Paduano and Benitez, he said.
Malacon said he is helping Benitez in his Bacolod mayoral run but he is not his campaign manager. Benitez helped him when he ran for mayor and now that he has no opponent in EB Magalona, it’s time to give back, Malacon said.
Benitez also said he has not heard of a near-fist fight between Malacon and Paduano.
Malacon is not his campaign manager but like other mayors in Negros Occidental, he is supporting him in his bid for mayor of Bacolod, Benitez said.
He also explained that Paduano’s pictures and name had to be removed from Asenso Bacolod tarpaulins because partylist groups are covered by the national campaign period that has already started.
So Abang Lingkod partylist campaign materials cannot be oversized and need to be placed in common poster areas, unlike those of local bets who are not covered by Comelec campaign rules yet, Benitez said.*