MAYOR Evelio R. Leonardia considers the move of former Bacolod City representative Monico Puentevella as ridiculous, in elevating to the Regional Trial Court (RTC) his challenge to the city’s Revised Revenue Code.
The mayor expressed such sentiments, considering that Puentevella who has a pending plunder case involving P50.5 million, failed to pay the P25 filing fee in his initial challenge to the tax measure before the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Puentevella re-filed Tuesday the case of Rolling Hills Memorial Park Inc. against Leonardia and other Bacolod officials, relative to the passage and implementation of City Ordinance No. 565, otherwise known as the revised Revenue Code of Bacolod City.
Leonardia wondered why Puentevella filed the case with the Bacolod RTC when he was told by the DOJ to file an appeal to his dismissed case, which has yet to be ruled on.
“Now he is seeking another forum. We think it is a case of forum shopping,” Leonardia said.
“I believe the councilors passed the ordinance on the basis of legal findings by the City Legal Officer. The revenue code is legal until proven otherwise. His action suffers from lack of trust and confidence of the business community because, in spite of his attempt to ask them to join him, not a single soul expressed willingness to join Puentevella,” said Leonardia.
“Instead, leaders of the business sector in the city filed a separate complaint,” he said.
Leonardia added that the city needs a new revenue code to enhance delivery of basic services to Bacoleños.
“What we had was a 19-year-old revenue code that was obsolete. It needed an update to be relevant and to keep up with a more sophisticated and progressive city. It was passed within the bounds of the law,” the city mayor said.
“Regardless of all the cases filed, Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson and the business community are still working on finding a common ground that they can agree on without the need for court intervention,” he said.
