No one opposes carnival site for Bacolaodiat Festival

BOARD Member Patrick Lacson (third district, Negros Occidental) clarified that no one in the camp of Vice Governor Genaro Alvarez is opposed to the use of properties at the back of the Old Provincial Capitol building as carnival site for the 8th Bacolaodiat Festival that opens today to usher in the Chinese New Year.

"I assure everyone that none of us (in the Alvarez camp) will complain or hinder their (carnival operators) wish to use the property at the back of Capitol," Lacson said.

The carnival operators were put in a quandary after they were allowed by Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. to use the Capitol property for free for the duration of the festival.

The rides were already set up until the issue cropped up that the use of Capitol property needs the approval of the Provincial Board.

Lacson said he has insisted to take up other matters in the regular session of the Provincial Board on Wednesday, especially to give the necessary approval for the use of the Capitol property by the carnival. However, Section 323 of the Local Government Code was invoked anew by the board members allied to Marañon.

Section 323 states that the Board could not take up other agenda during their session except the proposed 2013 budget which the board has not yet passed up to now.

"Is the camp of Gov. Marañon now in the habit of playing snakes and ladders? After the NOHS students and teachers, the renewal of contractual employees, availment of retirement benefits, cash bonuses and salary increase, now the Filipino-Chinese community in celebrating the Chinese New Year? What else do they have in mind?” said Lacson.

“If only my colleagues will listen to my suggestion that we will take up other matters instead of getting stuck with their insistence on the Local Government Code Section 323, we could have taken this (Bacolaodiat use of property) up and a whole lot of matters that are as important as the annual budget," Lacson said.

Lacson insists that common sense implies that the fourth tranche of the salary increase can be implemented retroactive January 2013 once the budget is approved.

"That includes retirement and bonuses, simply because it’s already included in the proposed annual budget. Now that we are past the month of January, only time will tell. Then the people will see who's right or wrong on this," he said.

The board immediately adjourned their session on Wednesday, as the budget was still being deliberated on by the SP committee on Finance.