• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Kabankalan City Mayor Benjie Miranda, who is seeking re-election in the May 2025 midterm elections, said on Friday (Aug. 2) that his wife, Divina will be his running mate for vice mayor.
Miranda is a member of the ruling the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas.
“If others can do it, why can’t I?” Miranda said, stressing that his wife, an English teacher, is much qualified.
He noted that there are precedents of husband and wife tandem in other localities in Negros Occidental.
In Binalbagan, Alejandro Mirasol is the mayor while his wife, Mary Ann, is the vice mayor while in Hinigaran, Jose Nadie Arceo is the chief executive while his wife, Mary Grace, is the vice mayor.
Meanwhile, former mayor Isidro Zayco remained tightlipped on whether he will challenge Miranda in the mayoralty race, saying that it will be known during the filing of the certificate of candidacy in October.
There are reports that incumbent Vice Mayor Miguel Zayco will be the running mate of the elder Zayco.
In the 2022 elections, Miranda defeated incumbent Mayor Pedro Zayco, brother of Isidro, who is the provincial chairman of the Nationalist People’s Coalition.
“Our tandem will make a difference as we belong to one party, and we sleep in one bed at night,” Miranda said, claiming that majority of the masses support him.
He added that the Zayco siblings have ruled Kabankalan City for more than three decades, and have done their best to develop the city.
“My goal now is to improve the city through innovation and digitalization,” Miranda said. | GB
