“This is not a matter of jurisdiction. This is a question of using precious people’s money on the right priorities.”

This was the reaction of Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia yesterday to a press release issued by Bacolod Rep. Anthony Rolando Golez Jr. saying that the mayor has no jurisdiction to demand for the realignment or stoppage of his project being implemented by the DPWH.

“Why do we have to concentrate on asphalt overlays when it is not even necessary, while we have our Circumferential Road which badly needs rehabilitation, maintenance and widening?” Leonardia asked.

For him, doing overlays over the need of the Circumferential Road shows a twisted sense of priority, he said.

Leonardia said “Let us throw the question to our people. If we have money, should we use it for asphalt overlay in Lacson Street, or use it to widen our roads?”

Lacson Street does not need repair, and that is one of the major reasons why the MassKara Festival is being held there, he said

. They are planning to use the tourism strip for three days instead of only two days because there are many important visitors, including balikbayans, who are coming so they have a lot of preparations in Lacson Street, Leonardia said.

Leonardia said the Circumferential Road has become busier, especially after the Bacolod City Government Center had opened there.

He was informed that the budget for the road widening is only up to Espinos Village. So Espinos Village up to Alijis and Cabug, will only have two lanes, he said.

SAN JUAN STREET CASE

“If the money for the asphalt overlay in Lacson Street is used to widen these area, I believe that is a more judicious, logical and practical way of using it. We saw what happened to the asphalt overlay in San Juan, from Barangays 1 to 3. It is now already filled with potholes because asphalt is not as durable as cement,” Leonardia said.

The DPWH says it is for preventive maintenance, but, as of the moment, that is not the call of the time, he said.

Leonardia said he has also asked DPWH-Bacolod District engineer Reynaldo Venturina if the road-widening project could be finished before the MassKara Festival in October.

He said they are now rehabilitating several major roads in the city since Bacolod has qualified for a grant of P35 million from the Department of Interior and Local Government after winning the Seal of Good Housekeeping.

EQUITY ISSUE

Meanwhile, Leonardia said the equity of the incumbent rule is not absolute and it is not even in the constitutional or bylaws of the National People’s Coalition, when asked about the status of Golez with the NPC.

“To echo what (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez has issued, the equity of the incumbent should only apply when the one concerned deserves it,” he said.

Leonardia said it is a question whether Golez deserves that or not. They will not say anything yet until the day of reckoning, he said. “Where Golez is concerned, we will cross the bridge when we reach it,” he added.

If Golez is a loyal party member and if there are problems, he should have discussed them internally, and not create issues out of them, Leonardia said. So far, he has done acts inimical to the NPC interest, he added.*CGS

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