“THE petition is exactly the same (thing) they filed at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) so it should have the same result.”
This was the reaction of former Negros Occidental Third District Representative and now provincial consultant Alfredo "Albee" Benitez on the petition for his exclusion from the list of registered voters of the city.
Benitez has already declared to run for mayor of Bacolod City against reelectionist Mayor Evelio Leonardia.
Municipal Trial Court in Cities Branch 4 heard the petition Tuesday, September 28, where the camp of Benitez was asked to file their counter-affidavits.
The petition was filed by private complainants, Hector Yula, Teodoro Abao and Jonah Tornea, who are believed to be allies of Grupo Progreso (GP).
The trio earlier sought the denial of Benitez’s application for the transfer of his voter’s registration in Bacolod before city Comelec, alleging that he is not a resident of Baranggay Mandalagan contrary to what he claims.
However, the Election Registration Board on July 23 dismissed the petition and declared Benitez a duly registered voter of Bacolod.
“I attended the hearing for the petition to exclude me in the Bacolod voters list at the Hall of Justice. I am confident that the petition will be rejected,” he added.