1 month ago
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BACOLOD CITY — Victorias City Mayor Javier Miguel "Javi" Benitez has called on his fellow candidates to be more responsible in their campaign approach for the May elections.
The mayor made the call through a post on his Facebook account on Sunday.
The mayor said he will not be putting up his own tarps outside of the official campaign period, and even then, only in designated common poster areas.
He also revealed that he will not be paying for any celebrity or influencer for endorsements, stressing that "our work and plans should speak for them-selves."
He urged his fellow candidates in Negros Occidental, especially in the third district, to avoid putting tarps on trees.
"Let's show we care about the environment while we campaign," the mayor said.
After the elections, Benitez said that he will ask a garments company to repurpose his tarps into reusable bags, so they would not go to waste.
These small efforts, he said, matter, and "I believe we can all do better this time. Let's campaign responsibly."
In September last year, Benitez announced his congressional bid after only one term as Victorias chief executive.
He aims to replace his uncle Tesda Director General Jose Francisco Benitez, a position his own father, Bacolod City Mayor Albee Benitez, occupied for three straight terms as congressman.
During his announcement, the young official said he will continue the "legacy of service" left by his father when he was a congressman and his uncle in representing the district in Congress.
He said he wants to "continue the Benitez brand of public service."
