Marañon running unopposed; Benitez bids post as independent

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. of Negros Occidental is running unopposed for his last term, under the United Negros Alliance, while former Liberal Party provincial head, 3rd district Representative Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez tendered his re-election bid, as an independent candidate.

Marañon will run alongside 4th district Rep. Jeffrey Ferrer (National Unity Party and UNA), who will challenge incumbent Vice Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, who is seeking for his second term.

Benitez, for his part, was unceremoniously stripped from his functions as the party’s provincial chairman, when LP president Joseph Emilio Aguinaldo-Abaya appointed former governor Rafael Coscolluela as provincial chair, with authority to nominate and issue certificates of nomination for its candidates.

Benitez said there was “no formal communication,” but he was scheduled to meet LP standard bearer Manuel Roxas II to discuss on the matter.

He said he will announce his decision later on who to support for president, but previous reports said he was supporting the candidacy of Senator Grace Poe.

When pressed if he was still with the LP, Benitez said: “Well, as of now, no party,” and that on his COC his political party affiliation was “left blank,” which meant he was an “independent” candidate.

On the reported falling out of the Visayan Bloc in the House of Representatives, Benitez said the bloc “was created to promote development among the districts to have one voice in Congress. It was not designed to promote any political party.” —Marchel P. Espina (FREEMAN)