• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Victorias City Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez is a strong candidate for the Negros Occidental third district congressional post, according to his father Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez.
The elder Benitez said in an interview on Saturday that he believes among the plans of his son is to run for congressman.
The young mayor’s uncle, Rep. Jose Francisco Benitez, will step down from his post as representative of the third district to assume a new position as director general of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) on Monday (Aug. 19).
TESDA is the government agency tasked to manage and supervise the technical education and skills development in the country.
A caretaker for the district will be named soon.
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said that “personally, I believe Congressman Stephen Joseph Paduano would be a logical choice (for a caretaker) because of his familiarity with the district.”
Paduano, a Negrense, is the Abang Lingkod partylist representative.
Moreover, the Bacolod City mayor said that he was surprised with the appointment of his younger brother as TESDA chief as their family “did not lobby for the post”.
“The education stakeholders made the recommendation and endorsement. They know the capacity of Congressman Kiko,” he added. | GB
