THE highly-influential Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) church has endorsed the candidacy of former Third District Alfredo Benitez, who is challenging incumbent Mayor Evelio Leonardia.Benitez leads the Team Asenso while Leonardia is the head of the other camp, Grupo Progreso (GP).Aside from Leonardia, a reliable source told SunStar Bacolod yesterday, May 6, that the religious group also endorsed the candidacies of incumbents Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran of GP and Congressman Greg Gasataya of Team Asenso.Other candidates endorsed by INC are Councilors Archie Baribar, Simplicia Distrito, Carl Lopez, Renecito Novero, Bartolome Orola, Dindo Ramos, Cindy Rojas, and Israel Salanga, as well as former vice mayor and councilor Jude Thaddeus Sayson, former councilors Claudio Puentevella and Em Ang, and Barangay Sum-ag Sangguniang Kabataan Chairman Jason Villarosa.Baribar, Lopez, Novero, Ramos, Rojas, Salanga and Ang are GP members while Distrito, Orola, Sayson, Puentevella and Villarosa are under Team Asenso.The INC, known for its block-voting, also earlier endorsed the candidacies of Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and nine mayors in the provinceLacson earlier said he has sent a letter of gratitude to Brother Eduardo Manalo, the executive minister of INC for their endorsement.*