Bacolod City Lone District Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez (left), with son Negros Occidental Third District Rep. Javier Miguel Benitez (center), and brother Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Secretary Jose Francisco Benitez, attend the opening event of the inaugural Terra Madre Asia and Pacific in Bacolod City on Wednesday (Nov. 19, 2025). “The reason why we’re supporting this administration is because he’s the only president (Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.) in the history of the Philippines who is investigating his own administration,” the Bacolod lawmaker said. (Photo from Albee Benitez’s Facebook page)
BACOLOD CITY – This city’s Lone District Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez personally reiterated his support for President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. after the Visayan bloc in the House of Representatives issued a statement backing the administration.
In an interview on Wednesday, Benitez, who considers himself an independent member of the House, said the President’s initiative to fight corruption in the bureaucracy should be supported.
“The reason why we’re supporting this administration is because he’s the only president in the history of the Philippines who is investigating his own administration. This has not happened before,” Benitez told reporters on the sidelines of the opening of the Terra Madre Asia and Pacific here. “For him to do that means his sincerity in solving, eliminating, eradicating corruption.”
On Tuesday, the Visayan bloc, which was convened by Benitez after the change in House leadership in September, issued a statement expressing its “full support for Marcos and more importantly, for the anti-corruption crusade he began.”
“Good governance is not a partisan project; it is a moral obligation. We stand with the President because we stand with every Filipino who deserves honesty, transparency, and accountability in public service,” they said.
They urged colleagues in government and fellow Filipinos to “reject distractions and political theatrics” and instead, “unite behind the reforms that strengthen our institutions, restore the people’s trust, and deliver real change.”
“We remain committed to working with the President to ensure that this moment becomes a turning point in our country’s journey toward clean, accountable, and principled governance,” they added.
Benitez earlier said that close to 40 of the 50 solons from the Visayas under the 20th Congress are members of the Visayan bloc.
The group’s goal and direction are to work towards adding allocation and resources to the Visayas. (PNA)