BACOLOD City – Mayor Evelio “Bing” Leonardia was insisting that the Charter Day of this city should be celebrated every June 18, not Oct. 19.
He was asking Rep. Greg Gasataya, a political ally, to help “rectify the error.” Leonardia believed June 18 of every year was the proper day of celebration because then President Manuel Quezon signed Commonwealth Act No. 326, or the Charter of Bacolod, on June 18, 1938. In 2011 Leonardia — also the mayor at the time — issued an executive order moving the date of the Charter Day to June 18. He has carried this position until now. This year, unlike in the previous years, the Charter Day celebration will be on June 18. The mayor said the city government was already preparing, with Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran as celebration chairman. Familiaran said the awarding of the most outstanding taxpayers and the outstanding citizen (Banwahanon Award) will highlight the annual event. But Leonardia’s stand was contrary to that of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) and a law. The NHCP holds that the city started its “corporate existence” on Oct. 19, 1938, so it should celebrate its Charter Day every Oct. 19, a news report published in February 2013 quoted then commission chairwoman Dr. Maria Serena Diokno as saying in a letter to then representative Anthony Golez. For 72 years, the city’s celebration of its Charter Day every Oct. 19 have “already acquired the character of custom and tradition,” which the NHCP finds no compelling reason to set aside, Diokno said. Leonardia claimed he was unable to push for a bill “correcting” the Charter Day during his first term of office as congressman in 2013 due to the “political climate” in the city at the time, citing his differences with then mayor Monico Puentevella. But the NHCP said Congress resolved the issue when it approved on May 19, 1994 Republic Act No. 7724, which declared Oct. 19 of every year as Bacolod City Charter Day and made that day a special nonworking public holiday in the city. “Oct. 19 is the lawful Charter Day, that being the date when President Manuel Quezon went to Bacolod City for its formal inauguration as a chartered city, highlighted by the assumption to office of Alfredo Montelibano Sr. as the first appointed mayor,” the NHCP said. Gasataya said his office was currently researching for a bill that he may file related to the issue./PN BY MAE SINGUAY
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FIVE Bacoleño centenarians and relatives of four others pose with city officials led by Mayor Evelio Leonardia after receiving their cash incentives of P100,000 each at the Bacolod City Government Center on May 24, 2017. The faces of the centenarians were digitally altered for security reason. (PIO photo) BACOLOD City – Nine Bacoleño centenarians each received P100,000 cash incentives at the Bacolod City Government Center, May 24, 2017. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) distributed the cash incentives through the City Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD). Of the nine centenarians, only five personally received their incentives, according to the Bacolod City Public Information Office (PIO). One beneficiary died after the law took effect, and the three others were represented by their kin. Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia honored the centenarians and thanked their relatives for taking good care of their old family members. “This is really a special occasion…. We would like to congratulate these centenarians and their family for taking good care of them,” he said. The giving of cash incentives is mandated by Republic Act No. 10868 (Centenarians Act of 2016.) Under the law, centenarians will P100,000 as “centenarian gift” among other incentives. They will also receive recognition from the government for reaching 100 years, whether they are residing in the country or abroad. Councilor Em Ang, chair of the Sangguniang Panlungsod committee on social services and development, said that aside from cash incentives, the centenarians will also receive a letter of felicitation signed by President Rodrigo Duterte and a posthumous plaque of recognition for the deceased. Bacoleño centenarians are also entitled to another P100,000 cash incentives from the city government by virtue of City Ordinance No. 09-16-789, why was authored by Councilor Caesar Distrito and passed in October 2016. CO 09-16-789 series of 2016 amended CO 08-14-670 series of 2014 by increasing the cash incentive of centenarians from P10,000 to P100,000. Distrito said they are already processing the balance of P90,000 for those who have already received their P10,000, as well as those who have yet to receive their P100,000. Aside from Leonardia, Ang, and Distrito, also gracing the event were DSWD-Region 6 Protective Services head Rose San Agustin, Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, and Councilor Bartolome Orola. Dolly Yasa This is high time to regulate the vendors at Libertad Market to generate income for the city. Thus said Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, after 13 rugby children hanging out at the annex building of Libertad market were arrested last night by the police in buy bust operation. These children have been using the vacant second floor of the annex building of Libertad market as their hang out, because the occupants are not using it, instead display their goods at the sidewalk, causing traffic congestion in the area.
Actually, Jonah Abao, officer in-charge of Libertad Public Market has recommended to the local market committee to open the ground floor of the annex building to accommodate transient and sidewalk vendors. Some 80% of the stalls here have been abandoned because they claim, their businesses are losing due to inaccessibility to the customers, and there are wholesalers selling their goods in retail. The vendors claim that their business is losing at the Annex Building because it is not accessible to their customers, and also because there are wholesalers who sell their goods in retail, he said. The area can accommodate 240 to 250 transient and sidewalk vendors. Hence, the said recommendation of Abao was approved by the Local Market committee headed by City Administrator, Atty. John N. Orola, Jr. Familiaran said, once rehabilitated, the annex building of Libertad Market can be utilized as barber shop and ukay-ukay area.* (EBColmo) BACOLOD City – Incentives from the national and city governments will make centenarians in this capital city P200,000 richer.
Nine centenarians received P100,000 each on Wednesday, Councilor Em Ang announced in a Facebook post. The giving of this cash award, sourced from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), was provided for under Republic Act 10868, or the Centenarians Act of 2016. Aside from cash, the centenarians also received a letter of felicitation signed by President Rodrigo Duterte, Ang said. Centenarians in this city were also entitled to another P100,000 each under the Centenarian Awardee Cash Incentive Ordinance. This will be the first time that the city government is giving such incentive, according to the Public Information Office. Mayor Evelio Leonardia led Wednesday’s distribution of the Centenarians Act cash award at the Bacolod City Government Center. He was with Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, Councilors Ang, Caesar Distrito and Bartolome Orola, and Rose Sanagustin of the DSWD Region 6. Under the Centenarians Act, all Filipinos who live up to 100 years will receive a letter of felicitation from the president and a centenarian gift of P100,000 whether they are in the Philippines or not. Centenarians may also receive a plaque of recognition and a cash incentive from their respective city or municipal governments, to be decided by their respective local government units, the law said. Surviving and deceased centenarians were not left out in the law. They shall be honored on the celebration of the first National Respect for Centenarians Day, or 120 days after the signing of the implementing rules and regulations, whichever comes first. They will receive the same centenarian gift along with a plaque of recognition. The nearest surviving relative of a deceased centenarian, on the other hand, will receive a posthumous plaque of recognition in honor of their centenarian relative. Funding for the law’s initial year will come from the DSWD, with subsequent funding to be included in the General Appropriations Act./PN BY MAE SINGUAY The Libertad Market Annex building on Amelia Avenue, Bacolod City has become a venue for drug-related activities after vendors stopped occupying the structure for several years now. (Erwin P. Nicavera) THE head of Libertad Public Market in Bacolod City has reiterated the recommendation to rehabilitate the Annex Building on Amelia Avenue to accommodate vendors after drug pushers were arrested inside the structure last weekend.
Jonah Abao, market officer-in-charge, said Tuesday, May 23, that they have recommended to the Local Market Committee to ask for a clearance from the Commission on Audit to open and rehabilitate the building situated in Barangay 40. The committee is headed by City Administrator John Orola with City Legal Officer Joselito Bayatan, Councilor Bartolome Orola, and a representative of the vendors as members. Abao said about 80 percent of the stalls have been abandoned by the occupants and the structure should be opened to accommodate the transient vendors selling on the streets. Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran had earlier said that concerned officials should inspect the structure to stop the drug-related activities in the area. On Saturday, 13 persons were arrested in a drug bust operation conducted by personnel of Police Station 6 at Annex Building. Abao said they disallowed teenagers from hanging out in the area, but after office hours, they return and engage in illegal activities. The teenagers are not family members of the stall owners, he added. Abao said most of the stall owners abandoned the Annex Building because it is not accessible to the public and they had difficulty selling their products in the upper floor. The structure has not been occupied by vendors for almost 10 years. Initially, the stalls were awarded to 120 vendors and only 15 percent are paying the rent. “If the city will open the stalls, we can accommodate the transient vendors at Libertad and they will pay in ‘alcabala’ system,” Abao added. He said this will be additional revenue to the city, and if the transient vendors will move to the Annex Building, traffic congestion will also be eased. They are also waiting for the decision of Mayor Evelio Leonardia on how to utilize the Annex Building, he added. By MERLINDA A. PEDROSA The City Administrator and Market Supervisor should inspect the Annex Building of Libertad Market in Brgy. 40, Bacolod City and implement measures to preventunauthorized persons, especially those engaged in illegal activities, from entering its premises, Bacolod Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran said yesterday.
The police arrested 13 persons, including three minors and two street-level targets,who werehaving a pot session at the Annex Building during a buy-bust operation Saturday. Familiaran said he believes it is time that the city implemented measures to prevent a similar incident from happening again. He said the structure has been empty for a long time and has become a white elephant, because vendors prefer to sell along thestreets while customers find the place very dark. There were plans in the past to open the Annex Building. However, the place does not appear conducive for business, Familiaran said. The Libertad Market is closed during night time and no one is allowed to sleep inside it, including the Annex Building, he said.*CGS BACOLOD City Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran said Monday, May 22, that City Administrator John Orola should inspect the Annex Building of Libertad Public Market in Barangay 40 to stop the drug-related activities in the area.
Familiaran issued the statement after 13 persons were arrested in a drug bust conducted by personnel of Police Station 6 at Annex Building Saturday, May 20. “The city administrator should to look into this along with the market supervisor to avoid a similar incident,” he added. Familiaran said the Annex Building has been a “white-elephant” for a long time and has not been occupied by vendors. “Our vendors are occupying the streets while the Annex Building is empty. The city administrator should to look into this,” the vice mayor said. He added that drug pushers should not have stayed in the building since it is supposed to be monitored by personnel of Public Order and Security Office (Poso). All government structures have assigned Poso personnel to secure these buildings, the vice mayor said. “The Poso guards should intensify their monitoring to stop the operation of illegal drugs in the area,” Familiaran said. He said the three big public markets are being closed at 10 p.m., including the Annex Building at Libertad Market. By MERLINDA A. PEDROSA Resorts in Bacolod City cannot renew their business permit or license to operate ifthey do not have lifeguards,executive assistant Jose Maria Vargas said. Vargas, cluster head for disaster management, said the installation of lifeguards is in compliance withPhilippine Coast Guard Memorandum Circular No. 3,series of 2014 and City Ordinance No. 749, series of 2015, or an “Ordinance requiring all swimming pool, resort owners and similar business to have a duly certified lifeguard”, authored by the councilor and now Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran. The requirement of lifeguards in resorts was one of the topics discussed during the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council meeting Tuesday in Talisay City, he said. Vargas said the PCG plans to implement Memorandum Circular No. 03, province-wide after learning that Bacolod City will implementC.O. 749, that requires every resort to hire a lifeguard to ensure the safety of their clients in the pools or beaches. All resorts in Negros island will be required by the Coast Guard to install and train lifeguards, since many have been found to have none, he said. Vargas said perhaps C.O. 749 was not implemented because resort owners do not know where to have their lifeguards trained. They met with the PCGon the matter since it will take the lead in training lifeguards and in informing all resorts in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental about the requirement, he said. Resorts in Bacolod City who violate the ordinance for the third time will face cancellation of their permit, Vargas said. Bacolod will take the lead in the region in implementing Coast Guard Memorandum Circular No. 3 and C.O. 749,he said adding that they are in the planning stage with the Coast Guard concerning the matter.* BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO BACOLOD City – The Bacolod City Regional Trial Court (RTC), Branch 42 dismissed a civil case seeking the manual count or audit of ballots cast in the May 9, 2016 elections pursuant to the constitutional guarantee of suffrage.
The case was filed on May 30, 2016 by petitioners Richard Calulut, Rufino Alcala, Rodelyn Jagunap, Lope Ledesma Jr., Levy Cadagat Jr., Rodolfo Robles Jr., Banni Macapodi, Nelson Reyes, Rosanna Ilon, Jose Jessie Bantigue, Madeline Diaz, Salvacion Penuela, Febe Legaspi, Joji Agbas, Emelia Lopez, Edgardo Emelia, Jessel Sombilla, Stella Alfabeto for and by themselves and as representatives of registered voters who supported the cause of NUP-MKK (National Unity Party-Magbinuligay Kita sa Kauswagan) in the May 9 polls. The respondents were members of the election board of canvassers (BOC) – City Commission on Elections Officer Mavil Majarucon-Sia, Leilanie Lory Bojos (vice chair), lawyer Gerald John Joven (secretary) and City Treasurer Giovanni Balalilhe. But in a decision dated Nov. 21, 2016, RTC Branch 42 Judge Fernando Elumba dismissed the petition of MKK supporters stating that “the courts have no authority to pass upon issues through advisory opinion or to resolve hypothetical or feigned problems.” “Courts do not sit to adjudicate mere academic questions to satisfy scholarly interest, however intellectually challenging. Thus, it cannot be overemphasized that, as a condition precedent to the exercise of judicial power, an actual controversy between litigants must first exist,” the court added. The court also acted on an earlier motion to dismiss filed by respondents through the Office of the Solicitor General. In their motion for reconsideration, the plaintiffs cited that they received the court order dismissing their petition on Dec. 6, 2016. According to the petitioners, the court “failed to see the actual, legal and constitutional controversy raised before it by the petition and they asked to carefully look at this matter one more time.” On the other hand, lawyers Joselito Bayatan and Edward Joseph Cuansing, defendants-intervenors in the petition, filed their comment on Dec. 15 on the MR filed by Calulut praying to the court to deny the MR for lack of merit. Earlier, Lyndon Caña, one of the legal counsels of the petitioners said, the petitioners were organized members and supporters of the NUP-MKK, numbering about 120,000 voters and supporters. But due to the volume of the affidavits, only a sample of at least 1,000 signatories is attached to the petition. Based on the petition paper, the petitioners cast their votes for MKK candidates led by former mayor Monico Puentevella on May 9 elections. But when the results of the election were announced by the BOCs, the petitioners claimed they were shocked and could not believe that their candidates got only the following votes as against their leading opponents: Congressman Jude Thaddeus Sayson got 84,431 votes against Vice Mayor Greg Gasataya with 85,467 votes; Mayor Monico Puentevella got 97,993 votes as against Congressman Evelio Leonardia with 120,231 votes; and Vice Mayoralty bet Vladimir Gonzales got 86,611 votes against Councilor El Cid Familiaran 108,360 votes. Gasataya, Leonardia and Familiaran belong Gropo Progreso. The petitioners stated that under Section 206 of Batas Pambansa 881 (Omnibus Election Code of the Philippines), counting of ballots as soon as the voting is finished is supposed to be done by the board of inspectors in a public manner to ascertain the result of the votes in that precinct. But in the May 9 election, while the Vote Counting Machines (VCMs) issued receipts for the votes, the tabulation of the votes was not shown to the public. The petitioners also claimed that curious and suspicious data generated from analyzing the announced election results indicated of fraud. Dolly Yasa |
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