Bacolod City mayor names running mate as spokesman

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD CITY – Mayor Alfredo “Albee” Benitez has named his former 2022 election running mate, lawyer Caesar Distrito, as the official spokesman for Bacolod City.

At a press briefing held in his office, Mayor Benitez announced that Distrito, currently the Barangay Singcang village chief, will handle media inquiries and articulate the mayor’s position on various issues. This appointment will take effect starting Monday, March 11, 2024.

The mayor conveyed that journalists are welcome to direct any question to Distrito, “anything under the sun.”

Distrito, present at the press conference, clarified that his new role does not present a conflict of interest with his position as a government official. There is also no issue of double compensation since he will be undertaking the spokesperson role on a “pro bono” basis.

“As barangay captain, I am already under the mayor’s supervision,” he commented, noting that serving as the mayor’s spokesman is an additional responsibility.

Distrito’s previous bid for the vice mayorship in 2022, alongside Benitez, did not succeed against Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran. He later secured a victory as barangay captain of Singcang in the barangay elections of October 2023.