BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Monday, September 3, 2018

MANILA – Rep. Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) last night said he has decided not to run for senator in 2019.

Benitez also told the DAILY STAR he will probably have the same decision as far as a run for governor of Negros Occidental is concerned.

About 300 leaders of the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan were asked whom they would like to support asthe party’s senatorial candidates in next year elections at their party leaders’ assembly in Pasay City, Friday.

The PDP Laban senatorial slate survey form did not have Benitez’s name on it because he asked them not to include him, the congressman said.

In his speech during the leadership assembly former Senate president Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel, PDP-Laban president, said that two party candidates had withdrawn from the race but he did not disclose their identities.

Included in the survey form distributed to party members during their assembly were nine party members, eight from friends of the party and five re-electionist senators.

On the list were former Interior and Local Government secretary, Negrense Rafael Alunan, and senators Grace Poe and JV Ejercito who have roots in the province.

The survey form states that “in the spirit of one PDP Laban’s core principles, which is consultative and participatory democracy, the leadership of PDP-Laban would like to know the pulse of its leaders as to who they would like for the party to support this coming 2019 senatorial elections”.

Benitez was the lone PDP member from Negros Occidental at the party leaders’ assembly was joined by other Visayan bloc members.

Others on the party’s senatorial slate survey form were Pimentel, Special Assistant to the President Christopher Bong Go, Secretary Francis Tolentino, Reps. Karlo Nograles, Zajid Mangudadatu, Rep. Dakila Cua and Monsour del Rosario,TV personality Jiggy Manicad and folk singer Freddie Aguilar;

Davao City Mayor Sarah Duterte-Carpio, Malacanang spokesman Harry Roque, former PNP chief Ronald dela Rosa, former senators Lito Lapid and Pia Cayetano, movie actor Robin Padilla and broadcaster Ramon Tulfo, and senators Cynthia Villar, Sonny Angara and Nancy Binay.

Among those on the survey form who were at the leaders’ assembly were Go, Pimentel, del Rosario, Roque, Mangudadatu and Tolentino.*GPB