Another TRO vs city loan deal

OPPOSITION and independent party led by incumbent councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr. is filing Monday a temporary restraining order (TRO) at the fiscals office "that will stop" the city's "anomalous" transaction with the Philippine Veterans Bank.

The City Government has entered into agreement with the PVB for a P250-million loan for the purchase of a 60-hectare lot worth P150 million from the Arao families intended for the informal settlers in the city.

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At least 2,000 families will be benefited of the relocation project of the city.

The property is located adjacent to the current relocation site of the city, at Abada-Escay.

But the opposition group wants it (transaction) "stopped" because the city, whose 32-hectare relocation site property it purchased from the Abada-Escay families in Barangay Vista Alegre, remain available since only about 10 hectares of the property have been occupied by the settlers, said Vladimer Gonzales.

Gonzales, a land developer and businessman, said the government instead of spending additional debts, which he noted will only burden the people of Bacolod, "should terminate the loan."

He noted that the city must utilize the remaining property "for its readily available for the homeless' poorest of the poor people of Bacolod."

He said the loan is "impractical". A mayoralty candidate himself, he opined that he is "disappointed" with the way city administration and its officials who wanted, not welfare for their constituents, but "deprivation" of their basic rights.

That for councilor Gamboa, a vice mayoralty candidate, cited that the project (loan) is nothing but "a scandalous transaction."

Technical malversation

It can be recalled that the city purchased a property sometime in mid-90s and started to relocate informal settlers in 1994 in the hope to decongest Bacolod of squatting problems.

"And to borrow a multi-million peso budget is a no-no because it will be an additional burden for all the Bacolodnons," said Gonzales.

"It's obviously a case of technical malversation of government funds," stressed Gamboa.

At a press conference, the group also said that would appeal for the City Council to pass a resolution allowing the City Government to waive its authority for the group to seek assistance of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to intervene in the light of the controversy.

"We would like to appeal to the DILG to act on the city's loan deal with PVB," said Gonzales.

On the other hand, lawyer Jesus Hinlo, told a conference that the relocation project should have been done the "decentralized" way, but "sad to say the City Government failed to do it."

Further, Cesar Uytiepo-Torrecarion of the Gawad Kalinga Project said the city violated the relocation system for its failure to provide livelihood assistance, health and environmental protection, and education.

"Look at the surroundings, there is no proper waste disposal evidenced by no drainage system," he said.

He blamed Councilor Dindo Ramos, chair committee on Housing Development for his "incapacity to deliver basis housing rights to the homeless people of Bacolod."

Loan for political bid

The opposition group suspects that the loan of the City Government will only be used for the political campaign of incumbent Mayor Evelio Leonardia and his party mates for the May 10 polls.

"It's (loan) highly malicious and that we can not avoid from thinking that because election is in the air, the despite the availability of a relocation site, the city still applied for loan for what?" asked Gamboa.

Gonzales likewise supported that though they are not against the project, what they are against is "strongly the loan for it is very unreasonable."

Peoples demand

At a forum held Sunday, the relocated residents claimed of poor water sources, road and lighting facilities in their area. And in the absence of a livelihood, they claimed that they must have to suffer from buying bottled water for their drinking consumption, aside from the tripling of their fares every time they would go to downtown area.

Dina Amar, 56, said they have to walk about a kilometer from their house when tricycle drivers refuse to ferry them during rainy days, because of its muddy condition, that likewise most of the drivers would not trail anymore in going to the relocation site for reasons that the road condition is rough, causing some damage in their tricycle units.

Court hearing

Leonardia, together with Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson, councilors Dindo Ramos, Al Victor Espino, Diosdado Valenzuela, Homer Bais, Greg Gasataya, Napoleon Cordova, Roberto Rojas, Alex Paglumotan, Kevin Daniel Ramos of the Sangguniang Kabataan federation have been summoned for a court hearing on the case hurled against them by former Bacolod City mayor and councilor Rolando Villamor with regard the P250 million loan controversy. (George M. De La Cruz)