By ERWIN ‘AMBO’ DELILAN
BACOLOD City’s Mayor Albee Benitez is facing “political turbulence”.
This has something to do with the strange vague statements of embattled Negros Oriental 3rd District’s Cong. Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr., dubbed as “Teves Eruption”.
Teves has been tagged in the infamous “Pamplona Massacre” in Pamplona town, NegOr on March 4 which left Gov. Roel Degamo and nine innocent civilians dead.
Just recently, Teves was designated a “terrorist” by the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC).
‘Boss Albee’
On Aug. 5, Cong. Arnie, live on Facebook, figuratively “rocked” Bacolod. He said vaguely: “Alam n’yo naman lahat, boss ko si Albee Benitez. Ka-negosyo ko si Albee Benitez.”
Teves challenged both President Bongbong Marcos and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos to also include the mayor in the list he (Teves) has been placed.
“Kung isasama n’yo mga anak ko, sige nga, tingnan ko kung kaya n’yo isama si Albee Benitez,” he dared the First Couple.
“Tingnan natin kung kaya n’yo rin i-freeze ang mga negosyo n’ya,” Teves added.
President Bongbong and Mayor Albee are childhood friends.
The mayor’s father, Jolly, was the Minister of Human Settlements during the incumbency of the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
‘Hindi pinapansin’
Cong. Arnie furthered, “Hindi mo na ako pinapansin.”
“Boss, I take this opportunity sa mainstream at social media: Pakibayaran mo naman utang mo sa akin,” he added.
According to Teves: “Yung pera natin sa negosyo na magkasosyo tayo, mamayang konti na. Pero ang personal na utang pakibayaran mo.” A really vague statement.
“Ngayon hindi mo man lang ako tine-text kung kamusta na ako. Nakaka-iyak na itinuring kitang kaibigan,” he enunciated, too.
What is Teves talking about? His statements are so strange nobody can make heads or tails with them.
In fairness to Mayor Albee
Mayor Albee’s response to Teves via a press conference on Monday, Aug. 7, was: “It’s heartbreaking for me to really see this kind of situation.”
He enjoined Cong. Arnie, whose whereabouts are unknown, to go home as the best option.
Mayor Albee distanced himself from the controversial congressman. He emphasized: “No paper to prove or any document that specifies or declares any association.”
The Bacolod mayor also assured his constituents: “I am the first person that will never break the law.”
He respects laws and abides by them, he stressed.
“I am actually bound by certain laws. The Terrorism Financing Preventive Suppression Act of 2012 specifies that any person, association, company, etcetera, directly or indirectly dealing with designated terrorists will be subjected to certain penalties. And in fact, the penalties even go as far as reclusion perpetua,” Benitez said.
He also said Teves’ claims are much better addressed in the proper forum: “I leave it to the proper forum. I am not taking this up with him.”
Mayor Albee recalled knowing Teves back in 2013 until 2016 when he was a congressman. He and Teves belonged to the Visayan Bloc in the Lower House.
But Mayor Albee stressed that the time and circumstances then were totally different from the circumstances now.
Asked if the “Teves Eruption” is politically-motivated, the mayor’s riposte: “I don’t want to dwell on that.”
‘PR tsunami’
What Mayor Albee faces right now is a “PR (Public Relations) tsunami”.
Whether he likes it or not, he needs to weather the “ugly political condition” by containing Cong. Arnie as soon as possible (ASAP).
How? It’s tricky!
Mayor Albee’s PR and legal teams must act now to address the “Teves Eruption”.
Political loyalty
So far, none of the 17 mayors in Negros Occidental affiliated with Love Negros, a local political party with Mayor Albee as titular head, has come forward to defend him.
Not even Abang Lingkod party-list’s Rep. Stephen Joseph “Caraps” Paduano, the mayor’s niño bonito in politics, or Gov. Bong Lacson. Both are Love Negros stalwarts.
Quite intriguing, isn’t it?
Is anyone willing to say something against Cong. Arnie to defend Mayor Albee? Let’s wait!
But the Bacolod mayor must take a cue now from this observation-slash-reality – political loyalty is always conditional./PN
