LP Negros Occidental chair no-show during Roxas sortie

NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – Is there a rift between Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II and his party’s provincial chairman in Negros Occidental, Representative Alfredo Abelardo Benitez?

Benitez was absent from a “closed-door” meeting with Roxas in Nature’s Village Resort in Talisay City, Friday morning, September 4.

This was reportedly the 3rd time Benitez missed a Liberal Party (LP) event for Roxas. The first was when Roxas was endorsed by President Benigno Aquino III as the party’s standard-bearer in Club Filipino in Manila. The second time was during the “gathering of friends” in Cebu City.

The Negrense lawmaker was reportedly out of the country during those times.

The information from local politicians, however, is that Benitez – the 4th richest congressman in the country and the leader of the Visayan Bloc in the House of Representatives – was reportedly disappointed when Roxas threw his support behind Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr without first consulting LP members in the province.

Benitez and Marañon belong to different local parties. The former leads Love Negros while the latter heads United Negros Alliance. 

Marañon earlier announced that the proposed merger between the two parties would not happen because he wants 4th District Representative Jeffrey Ferrer to be his running mate in 2016. This is contrary to the proposition of Benitez, who insists that incumbent Vice Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson should seek re-election.

Benitez has been very elusive to the media in the past month. He says he will only speak on party and election-related issues, both local and national, in “due time.”

Benitez has yet to issue a statement if he will endorse Roxas for president in the 2016 elections.

Roxas elusive

In chance interview at the Talisay City Public Market on Friday, Roxas was asked by journalists why Benitez was absent from the closed-door party meeting. The LP presidential bet walked away and continued interacting with the vendors. 

But the reporters chased him briefly despite his tight security, Roxas said, “You have to ask him. I don’t know.”

Calls to Benitez’s his mobile phone were re-directed to his office, where his staff member said the lawmaker was out of Negros Occidental and was in “Calayan and he can’t be reached.” 

The provincial officials, led by Governor Marañon, reiterated their support for Roxas during the closed-door meeting, which lasted an hour.

Vice Governor Lacson, 4th District Representative Ferrer, 5th District Representative Alejandro Mirasol, and most of the mayors were present.

“I am very happy to see a gathering of friends who put aside their political affiliations to support Sec Mar’s higher calling. This is the time of the Ilonggos. This is the right time for Sec Mar Roxas,” Marañon said.

The meeting was organized by the governor, according to Bacolod City Mayor Monico Puentevella, who was also present.

“Everybody is here except Benitez,” the mayor added. 

Mr Palengke

Before his meeting with the officials here, Roxas met with the vendors at the Talisay City Public Market in Barangay Zone 4.

He was mobbed when he shook hands with vendos. handshaked with the excited vendors. They also had their “selfies” taken with the secretary. Others shouted, “Mr Palengke! Mr Palengke! Mr Palengke!” – a reference to the campaign slogan and political advertisement that helped make Roxas top the 2004 elections.

Roxas also spotted a vendor selling a yellow Malaysian mums and bought all of them. He then gave the flowers to the women at the market.

Later on Friday, Roxas proceeded to Negros Oriental.

In the 2010 elections, Roxas had an overwhelming win in Negros Occidental against Vice President Jejomar Binay in the vice presidential race. Roxas garnered 707,313 votes against Binay’s 221,679 votes. – Rappler.com