75th Charter Day celebration draws flak from Golez

BACOLOD City Representative Anthony Rolando Golez Jr. criticized Wednesday the plan of his political opponent National People’s Coalition (NPC) Grupo Progreso congressional candidate Mayor Evelio Leonardia to push through with the June 18 Charter Day signing celebration.

“October 19 cannot be disputed because there is a law supporting it. No executive order can repeal a republic act and that is basic in law making,” he said.

He said the best thing that the people would do is to snub what they were saying because totally, “they are sending a wrong signal to the children.”

“They refuse to follow what is right and this is lawlessness because nobody follows the law in Bacolod City, insofar as the legitimate Charter Day celebration which falls on October 19,” he added.

Earlier, Leonardia appointed City Administrator John Orola Jr. as executive director for the 75th-year celebration of the signing into law of the Charter of Bacolod on June 18, 2013.

His appointment was contained in Executive Order 4, series of 2013.

The celebration marks marks the signing into law of Commonwealth Act 326 by President Manuel L. Quezon.

Leonardia said that since this is his last year as Bacolod mayor, he will see to it that the celebration will be likened to “a diamond in the sky.”

"We are pushing with the celebration because we believe that this is the right thing to do. The show must go on," he said.

Leonardia is facing a disbarment case for changing the date of the celebration of the Charter day. Sarah Esguerra is the complainant of the said case.

The mayor said, however, that Esguerra will soon have “her day.”

Orola has put Esguerra behind bars when she used to work with him when he was congressman of Bacolod.

"We should not be disturbed by anything that's meaningless. We should go on with our plans and direction," the city administrator said.

Orola plans to present 75 meaningful activities and 75 golden personalities during the celebration.

Leonardia said the activity is in fact a 3-in-1 celebration, which includes the Philippine Independence day on June 12, the Charter day signing on June 18, and the birthday of national hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal on June 30.

Lawyer Joselito Bayatan, city legal officer, sees no conflict between the June 18 and October 19 celebration despite the fact that the National Historical Commission has issued an opinion that the legitimate date of celebrating the Charter day is on October 19.

He said the city is just giving emphasis to a historical fact that the Charter of Bacolod was signed on June 18.

"We don't dispute also the significance of October 19 because that is where the first set of officials of Bacolod assumed post. But we believe that there is no October 19 celebration without the June 18 signing of the law," he said. (CNC)