Senator: Build hospital, not coliseum

BACOLOD. Reelectionist Sen. Grace Poe speaks at a youth forum at the auditorium of Barangay Estefania in Bacolod City. (Erwin Nicavera)
BACOLOD. Reelectionist Sen. Grace Poe speaks at a youth forum at the auditorium of Barangay Estefania in Bacolod City. (Erwin Nicavera)

“WHY a coliseum? Build a hospital instead.”

This was the question raised by reelectionist Senator Grace Poe during her campaign sortie in Bacolod City on Tuesday, March 12.

The senator is responding to the sentiments of the locals that the city needs a hospital, instead of other projects being prioritized by the current administration.

In her speech in Barangay Banago, Poe said the city, given its large population, should have its own hospital.

“The residents still need to go to the regional hospital. It’s good that someone has told me about it,” she said. “This is one of the things that we will push if reelected.”

After joining hundreds of residents in a boodle fight in Purok Tinagong Paraiso of the said barangay, the senator proceeded to Barangay Estefania for a youth forum.

During the forum attended by hundreds of residents, mostly students, a resident asked for the senator’s assistance on how they can stop the P1.7 billion loan to be incurred by the City Government to fund four flagship projects including the Bacolod MassKara Colisuem worth P800 million.

“Most of us want the funds to be allocated for the development of a hospital,” the resident said.

In response, Poe said, “Tama kayo d’yan (you’re right). Anong gagawin natin sa coliseum kung mas kailangan natin ng ospital (what are we going to do with a coliseum if we need a hospital more)?”

The senator continued that if the city needs an events place, there’s an SMX (convention center of SM Group) and other places. But the hospital, everyone needs it.

“With Congressman Stephen Paduano (AbangLingkod representative), we will push for the hospital here,” Poe added.

It can be recalled that a civil complaint involving the P1.7 billion loan, which will fund the city’s four flagship projects, was filed in January.

This was a month after the City Council ratified the term loan agreement and continuing deed of assignment with a hold-out agreement between the City Government and the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP).

Named respondents were Mayor Evelio Leonardia, Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran; Councilors Caesar Distrito, Cindy Rojas, Renecito Novero, Em Ang, Elmer Sy, Ana Marie Palermo, Dindo Ramos, Bartolome Orola, Sonya Verdeflor, Lady Gles Gonzales-Pallen and Ayesha Joy Villaflor; City Council Secretary Vicente Petierre III; City Treasurer Giovanni Balalilhe; City Budget Officer Maria Imelda Williams; City Accountant Corazon Cardel; and DBP Negros Occidental Lending Center head Bernardo Catillion Jr.

It was former vice mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson, former councilor Jocelle Batapa-Sigue, and businessman Antonio Wong who filed the civil case for certiorari, prohibition and annulment of contract with a prayer for a temporary restraining order, preliminary injunction, and/or preliminary mandatory injunction.

Lawyer Cesar Beloria Jr., spokesperson for the complainants’ legal team, earlier said they would like to annul the contract between the DBP and the City Government, and has sought a temporary restraining order and the preliminary injunction not to release the funds.

Leonardia maintained that those who opposed the projects are anti-people and anti-progress.

The other three projects are development of Progreso Village Relocation Site worth P350 million; Bacolod City College site development and facilities, P350 million; and construction of roads and bridges, P200 million.

These three projects were already subjected to a bidding process and are currently under post-qualification. Winning bidders have yet to be announced.

There is no bidding schedule yet for the coliseum project.

Meanwhile, prior to the boodle fight and youth forum, Poe, along with Paduano and vice mayoralty candidate Sayson, started her campaign sortie at Burgos Public Market.

They also met with some barangay captains for a lunch at Chicken House. Poe was accompanied by her mother Susan Roces, who was born and raised in Bacolod City.

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