HOUSE Bill No. 5875 that seeks to declare June 18 of every year a special non-working public holiday known as “Bacolod City Charter Day” was approved on third and final reading on Wednesday.
Bacolod City Lone District Representative Greg Gasataya said Friday, February 16, the bill was unanimously approved and it will be forwarded to the Senate.
“It will now depend on the deliberations of the Senate,” he said.
Gasataya filed the bill on June 13, 2017 upon Mayor Evelio Leonardia’s request.
The proposed legislation amends Republic Act (RA) No. 7724 that set a wrong date for the celebration of the Charter Day of Bacolod. Leonardia said President Manuel L. Quezon signed Commonwealth Act No. 326 creating Bacolod as a city on June 18.
Leonardia had earlier said President Manuel L. Quezon signed Commonwealth Act No. 326 creating Bacolod as a city on June 18.
He said RA 7724 created the legally unfounded belief that the Charter Day is on October 19.
The mayor pointed out that they gathered a background that October 19 was the inauguration of then mayor Alfredo Montelibano Sr.
Former mayor Monico Puentevella had earlier questioned the bill which he claimed that the move to change the city’s Charter Day from October 19 to June 18 is a betrayal of public trust.
On November 20, 2017, Puentevella sent a letter to Pangasinan Representative Marlyn Primicias-Agabas, asking for another committee hearing om the controversial move to change the city’s history.
Gasataya said that he respect the opinion of the former mayor.
“The Congress is a deliberative body and they know what they are doing. They won’t enter into something without a legal basis,” he said.
He added that the bill was passed in the committee of rules chaired by Ilocos Norte First District Rodolfo Fariñas and most of the members are lawyers.