Mayor Albee no longer Capitol consultant

Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez is no longer a consultant for economic enterprise of the Negros Occidental Provincial Government as of January this year, Atty. Rayfrando Diaz, provincial administrator, said.

Diaz said yesterday that Benitez did not sign his contract even though the Sangguniang Panlalawigan approved it in January, this year.

“I think for purposes of delicadeza and he wants to distance himself from the provincial government while he was campaigning for mayor,” he pointed out.

Now that he already was elected as mayor of Bacolod he will not have time anymore to look at the economic situation of the province, Diaz added.

Even without the consultancy status of the Bacolod mayor with the Capitol, he said “the cooperation and coordination with Mayor Albee is 100 percent.”

“(On) the business and economic advantages that he will bring to Negros Occidental and Bacolod City we will always consult with one another,” Diaz said

As a matter of fact, he said, in all the programs initiated by the provincial government Mayor Albee is always invited and he always participates.

Diaz referred to the recent Water Summit and the planned Power Summit “the mayor is always consulted.”

“Consultancy or none there is no problem with him. The relationship between the provincial government and Bacolod has never been stronger, ” Diaz said.

Benitez was a consultant for economic enterprise and investment of Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson during his first term starting 2019.* (EYA)