Three out of the 12 elected councilors of Bacolod City have recorded perfect attendance in the Sangguniang Panlungsod sessions held July 1 to Dec. 31, 2010.
They are Councilors El Cid Familiaran, Sonya Verdeflor and Catalino Alisbo. Familiaran is a first term councilor, Verdeflor a returning one, while Alisbo has been re-elected. SP Secretary Nilo Alejandrino said Councilor Dindo Ramos has attended only 11 sessions out of the 26 sessions covering the same period based on the attendance report of the SP for 2010. He said Ramos had filed for official leave, that is why he failed to attend 15 out of the 26 sessions. Ramos reportedly had to accompany a member of his family to the U.S. for medical treatment last year. Meanwhile, Councilors Caesar Distrito, Archie Baribar and Elmer Sy have missed only one session each from July 1-Dec. 31, 2010.*CGS Visayan Daily Star
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BACOLOD City Mayor Evelio R. Leonardia is not in favor of legalizing jai alai in the city, stating that the legalization should be initiated by the National Government and not by the local government.
Some members of the City Council, however, do not share the mayor's views on the issue. "I don't want to stand as a moral barometer on this matter. We will just wait for the National Government to decide on this," Leonardia said. The mayor said he does not see the need for jai alai's legalization, since there are other legal gambling activities, such as those at Pagcor's casino, lotto, sweepstakes, small town lottery and bingo. Some members of the City Council also expressed opposition to the idea of jai alai's legalization and more so for Bacolod to be a jai alai franchisee. Councilor Homer Bais said when the motion was raised on the floor, it took a while for Councilor Elmer Sy to second the motion for the purpose of discussion. This is a form of gambling that spreads in all walks of life and ages, Bais stressed. Even children are seen holding or analyzing a jai alai tipster, which is the primary reason why he is against jai alai per se, Bais said. On the other hand, Councilor Archie Baribar is open to the idea of Bacolod being a franchisee of jai alai. The discussion over jai alai's legalization stemmed from Councilor El Cid Familiaran's motion before the City Council to legalize jai alai in Bacolod with the local government as its operator. If the illegal jai alai operation cannot be stopped, then it would be better to push for its legal operation, said Familiaran. Familiaran presented data showing that the net income of jai alai in its illegal operation reaches P2 million a day; P60 million a month, or P720 million a year. With the legalization of jai alai, it will be the city which will get the income. With the income from jai alai, the city can address its major concerns on housing, education and health, Familiaran explained. He further said the legalization of jai alai can also help the barangays, because they will have a 10-percent share in the income. Baribar declared that he is against gambling, be it legal or illegal. However, if the city will be left with no choice because it cannot contain illegal gambling operations, then Bacolod might as well consider the idea of legalizing jai alai's operations, he said. Gambling will not be this rampant if it is not being tolerated on the national level, he added. (Carla N. Canet) Published in the Sun.Star Bacolod newspaper on January 05, 2011. CREBA President Harish Nandwani together with members of the association recently held a dialogue with Vice Mayor Thaddy Sayson and Bacolod City Councilors El Cid Familiaran, Elmer Sy, Cesar Distrito and Em L. Ang concerning the proposed increase of taxes of Bacolod City.
CREBA officers and members with Bacolod Vice Mayor Sayson and some councilors. CREBA members aired their objections on the proposed tax ordinance which they consider as very oppressive, most especially as some of the increases in taxes ranges from 100% increase to as much as 900% percent. They also brought out the fact that City officials have been remiss in collecting the delinquent taxpayers which amounts to a very large amount. They opined that had the City officials collected payments of the tax delinquencies, there probably would not need any increase on taxes. They cited the some P38 million which has remained uncollected from the three major markets of the City. For his part, Vice Mayor Sayson stated that Bacolod City and its officials have always been very "business-friendly" and would go to all ends to protect the businessmen of the City. In reply, CREBA members present stated that many businessmen in the downtown area are objecting to the increase in taxes because the City is not even collecting taxes from the sidewalk vendors, especially those in front of some business establishments who are losing revenues because of the proliferation of sidewalk vendors throughout the City. Each of the councilor stated their position on the proposed increase of taxes and stated also that they would again study the new tax ordinance so that there could be a meeting of the minds on the thorny issue between the Bacolod City government and the businessmen.* CREBA President Harish Nandwani together with members of the association recently held a dialogue with Vice Mayor Thaddy Sayson and Bacolod City Councilors El Cid Familiaran, Elmer Sy, Cesar Distrito and Em L. Ang concerning the proposed increase of taxes of Bacolod City.
CREBA members aired their objections on the proposed tax ordinance which they consider as very oppressive, most especially as some of the increases in taxes ranges from 100% increase to as much as 900% percent. They also brought out the fact that City officials have been remiss in collecting the delinquent taxpayers which amounts to a very large amount. They opined that had the City officials collected payments of the tax delinquencies, there probably would not need any increase on taxes. They cited the some P38 million which has remained uncollected from the three major markets of the City. W. Henry O. Streegan Negros Daily Bulletin Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia yesterday said that he does not see an urgent need to legalize jai-alai in Bacolod City, as of now, but that, in the end, it will all depend on the position of the national government.
A resolution requesting the mayor to consider getting a jai-alai franchise for possible operation as the city’s economic enterprise, in Bacolod City, has been filed at the Sangguniang Panlungsod by Councilor El Cid Familiaran. Leonardia said the bottom line is that what could be legal gambling is something that is sanctioned by the national government. The SP cannot come up with its own ordinance to legalize any gambling activity, he said, adding that, in the Philippines, there are two types of gambling, the legal and illegal. “I do not want to stand here as a moral barometer, and be the one to say which is good gambling and which is bad gambling,” Leonardia said. He stressed that the stand of the city is to wait, because they will go only for what is legal. It would not be appropriate for them to make conclusions on this since the casino, lotto, Small Time Lottery, bingo and sweepstakes are also forms of gambling, but they are allowed by law, Leonardia said. Any legalization of jai-alai in Bacolod will therefore depend on the position of the national government, he reiterated.*CGS PROS AND CONS. Now that Councilor El Cid Familiaran has grabbed the bull by the horns through his proposal to provide franchises for jai alai operations in Bacolod and openly saying that close to a dozen underground jai alais are operating in Bacolod City, pros and cons about jai alai and the numbers game are cropping up.
A question had also come up about the perception that Malacaqang does not appear too keen in really stopping the illegal numbers game, with President Benigno Aquino, III, declaring in a recent statement that, at the moment this does not figure in his list of priorities. Earlier, we had been told, that among those who had supported Aquino’s campaign during the May 10, elections was well-known gambling figure Charlie "Ating" Ang and this, through uncle Peping Cojuanco. What this means is that in the circle of the President’s core group and peripheral supporters were key people who mobilized supporters which Noynoy was not even deeply aware of, was Peping Cojuangco his uncle, who kept his won chronies and hangers-on in the Council for Political Affairs. Other key family members, political leaders and supporters in the Liberal Party (LP), had their own operations including those who worked for the victory of vice-presidential candidate Jejomar Binay something which were recently told, has become a trigger for the ongoing conflict within the Aquino and Roxas camp, the latter having sacrificed his political ambition to be president to give way to Aquino. One very angry lady we were told is Mar Roxas mother, Judy Araneta-Roxas who contributed a not too-small amount for the campaign in the sum of P500-Million. The Grand matriarch is reportedly asking those who got the money why her son lost in the recent election to Binay. Was the money she gave also used for the Binay campaign unknown to them? POLICIES ARE NOT OFTENTIMES MADE BY STATEMENT. This episode and this fact, indeed, shows that traditional politician leaders and figures run election campaigns on the basis of gut realities. This is very true in the case of Mar Roxas who had thought all along that because he had backed out of the presidential race, those in the Noynoy camp would repay this "sacrifice" in the same kind, the same commitment which he did. But he was all wrong as he found our after the last election. It was , of course, too late when Mar Roxas and company found out about the great "stab" in the back. Now, the great division in the balay camp and Noynoy’s loyalists are surfacing. This also is true in the case of Noynoy’s other core supporters who made deals with other personalities and groups which are what traditional politics are. The deals could even have been made out only with political factions in the country, as it was with Chiz Escudero but more with foreign countries which have a great stake in business and finance as it concerns the Philippines. Talks are rife in Philippine circles that Noynoy’s uncle Peping, made a deal with outgoing President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, for her and her political networks and loyalists to support Noynoy Aquino and which was for political expediency. That is why some people told us that the truth Commission was intended to fail in the first place and in the final end because of the political debt, the campaigners around Noynoy Aquino made and even beyond his knowledge which became fiat accompli and which the President has to comply with although he only learned about this later. The reality is that we may have a situation here, where jai alai, jueteng and all kinds of numbers game, legal or illegal will flourish under this administration.* PROS AND CONS. Now that Councilor El Cid Familiaran has grabbed the bull by the horns through his proposal to provide franchises for jai alai operations in Bacolod and openly saying that close to a dozen underground jai alais are operating in Bacolod City, pros and cons about jai alai and the numbers game are cropping up.
A question had also come up about the perception that Malacaqang does not appear too keen in really stopping the illegal numbers game, with President Benigno Aquino, III, declaring in a recent statement that, at the moment this does not figure in his list of priorities. Earlier, we had been told, that among those who had supported Aquino’s campaign during the May 10, elections was well-known gambling figure Charlie "Ating" Ang and this, through uncle Peping Cojuanco. What this means is that in the circle of the President’s core group and peripheral supporters were key people who mobilized supporters which Noynoy was not even deeply aware of, was Peping Cojuangco his uncle, who kept his won chronies and hangers-on in the Council for Political Affairs. Other key family members, political leaders and supporters in the Liberal Party (LP), had their own operations including those who worked for the victory of vice-presidential candidate Jejomar Binay something which were recently told, has become a trigger for the ongoing conflict within the Aquino and Roxas camp, the latter having sacrificed his political ambition to be president to give way to Aquino. One very angry lady we were told is Mar Roxas mother, Judy Araneta-Roxas who contributed a not too-small amount for the campaign in the sum of P500-Million. The Grand matriarch is reportedly asking those who got the money why her son lost in the recent election to Binay. Was the money she gave also used for the Binay campaign unknown to them? POLICIES ARE NOT OFTENTIMES MADE BY STATEMENT. This episode and this fact, indeed, shows that traditional politician leaders and figures run election campaigns on the basis of gut realities. This is very true in the case of Mar Roxas who had thought all along that because he had backed out of the presidential race, those in the Noynoy camp would repay this "sacrifice" in the same kind, the same commitment which he did. But he was all wrong as he found our after the last election. It was , of course, too late when Mar Roxas and company found out about the great "stab" in the back. Now, the great division in the balay camp and Noynoy’s loyalists are surfacing. This also is true in the case of Noynoy’s other core supporters who made deals with other personalities and groups which are what traditional politics are. The deals could even have been made out only with political factions in the country, as it was with Chiz Escudero but more with foreign countries which have a great stake in business and finance as it concerns the Philippines. Talks are rife in Philippine circles that Noynoy’s uncle Peping, made a deal with outgoing President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, for her and her political networks and loyalists to support Noynoy Aquino and which was for political expediency. That is why some people told us that the truth Commission was intended to fail in the first place and in the final end because of the political debt, the campaigners around Noynoy Aquino made and even beyond his knowledge which became fiat accompli and which the President has to comply with although he only learned about this later. The reality is that we may have a situation here, where jai alai, jueteng and all kinds of numbers game, legal or illegal will flourish under this administration.* by Edgar Cadagat Negros Daily Bulletin |
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