JONATHAN LOBATON
ENDPOINT
May 02, 2021

ON THE way to the coming elections next year, we can expect that we will be hearing surprises from our politicians and those aspiring to seek the people's mandate. This was proven when former third district congressman, Albee Benitez, transferred his voting registration at Bacolod City, to possibly trim down his options in the coming elections in 2022.

The transfer of Albee's registration may be viewed as trying to challenge the mayoralty position now occupied by incumbent mayor Bing Leonardia.

There is still no concrete declaration from Albee if he is truly running for mayor, but in all indications, he might decide in the coming days and will be concretized during the filing of candidacy.

There were reports before that his options are open to becoming the next governor, senator, congressman and mayor, being a registered voter of Victorias City. His transfer to Bacolod, limited his option to only the senate seat, mayor of Bacolod and hopefully, the north district congressman should creating a new district for will be materialized.

I had the chance to work with both Mayor Bing Leonardia and former Congressman Albee Benitez. Right after the term of former Governor Elpidio Zayco, I joined the city government as executive assistant. Also, as former commander of the Incident Management Team of the province, I worked closely with former congressman Albee Benitez. Both have similarities in terms of their work ethic and the ability to decipher situations that are truly attached to politics.

In case the fight between two camps will push through in 2022, no doubt this will again put Bacolod on the map in the next elections. Since the coming exercise is a national election and attention would be divided among our choices for national and local candidates, the fight for mayor of the city would also be one for the books.

I have started examining the history and culture of Bacolod politics just like other provinces where they include in the academic subject the politics of their place to recall the personalities and the happenings in the elections, which is part of the glorious past. In our place, how we wish we could also have the same work for the next generation.

Should a contest be materialized in 2022, both camps carry the peculiarity that will determine the future for the two candidates and for the city. Of course, politicians and operators knew this is all but a numbers game.

Mayor Bing as the incumbent has the support of the majority of the barangay leaders in the city and whose political group, may have mastered the dynamics of political machinery which they had proven to be effective for the past many elections. The years that he had spent as mayor of Bacolod, also created a recall particularly in the voting population of the city. This could make the challenge something to look at when the bottom line is on the number of votes at the end of the day.

Albee has also his own strength. Aside from being supported by the officials of the province, he has the resources to make his way into the position he is seeking. And for the time that he had worked as a member of Congress and engaged in provincial politics, this time he knew what he had decided for.

But in the words of Congressman Greg Gasataya, elections would be too far to talk about politics.

We can simply reserve our excitement while focusing ourselves at the same time in fighting the pandemic. While in the language of those involved in politics, let us wait and see and follow the developments.