Members of the Nationalist People's Coalition-Grupo Progreso led by Bacolod Rep. and mayoralty candidate Evelio Leonardia signed a covenant yesterday at the Business Inn, Bacolod City, to show their commitment and sincerity to the people of Bacolod City. Leonardia said they are the only group with a covenant, or a formal written document of their platform of government showing their commitment to “save Bacolod and restore the development momentum it had gathered in the nine years of the Grupo Progreso administration.” This is a team effort and each member was asked to contribute their ideas before the covenant was finalized, he said It was signed by all their members in the spirit of accountability, Leonardia added.. Leonardia said the Grupo Progreso is an aggrupation of local members of the NPC, Liberal Party, Nacionalista Party, and Partido Paglaum. He also said they consider the past three years in Bacolod as years of stagnation and deterioration, citing the ranking of the city as one of the Most Competitive Cities in the Philippines from a high of number 2 in 2010 to an all-time low of number 73 in 2015. He said that when his administration left the city in 2013, he left P636.8 million in cash in three major government banks, per City Treasurer's records. Leonardia said that under the administration of Mayor Monico Puentevella, the budget of the city was P1.230 billion in 2013 and this increased to P1.8 billion in 2016, and the Mayor has complete and absolute control over these funds. He said Puentevella controls majority of the Sangguniang Panlungsod which approved all his financial requests. But his administration has nothing to show for the billions it had under its disposal in the last three years, except for the patchwork done on some city roads to cover the obvious pot holes, he added. Leonardia said the NPC-Grupo Progreso offers to lead the city in returning to the right and proper course for development; lead the return to the basic values of transparency and decency in governance, where power is properly dispersed and not concentrated on the Mayor and his sons, brothers and relatives in City Hall. He also introduced the Grupo Progreso slate during a press conference yesterday composed of candidates dubbed, "BEG DOZEN STARRSS." "BEG" stands for Bing Leonardia - for mayor; El Cid Familiaran - for vice mayor, Greg Gasataya - for congressman; For councilors: "DOZEN" means Distrito, Caesar; Orola, Bart; Zulueta, George; Espino, Al Victor; and Novero, Renecito; "STARRSS" is the acronym for Sy, Elmer; Tan, Cano; Ang, Em; Ramos, Dindo; Rojas, Cindy; Salanga, Israel; and Solidum, Marlon - also for councilors. Gasataya said he has been in public service for 22 years and when he was a councilor, he authored several major ordinances like the Bacolod City Comprehensive Ordinance, Comprehensive Scholarship Program of Bacolod, an ordinance creating the Bacolod Traffic Authority Office, among others. He said he also plans to continue the programs started by Leonardia if elected and will ensure that the Bacolod City College will be commissioned to offer vocational and short term courses, to establish the Bacolod Enrollment and Employment Center, to establish the Bacolod north and south congressional districts, establish the Metro Bacolod Development Authority, and fund government hospitals. Familiaran said he has authored 41 approved quality ordinances as councilor and if elected, he will stir the SP members to actively participate in the deliberations and encourage them to pass measures in harmony with the executive agenda of the mayor. Meanwhile, Leonardia said he finds it incongruous that the governor, who stands for “Daang Matuwid” (straight path) could endorse someone, referring to Bacolod Mayor Monico Puentevella, who has been suspended for a case involving graft and corruption. Leonardia was reacting to the claims of Puentevella's supporters that the mayor and his congressional candidate Jude Thaddeus Sayson were endorsed by Gov. Alfredo Marañon Friday. Marañon raised the hands of Sayson and Puentevella but said later that was no endorsement since he was just fooling around.*CGS BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO
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