Senator Antonio Trillanes IV yesterday assured Bacoleños that he will continue to fight for good governance and also pledged to provide more support for Bacolod and Negros Occidental, during the 114th Independence Day program in Bacolod City where he was the guest of honor and speaker.

In his speech yesterday at the BAYS Center, Trillanes thanked Negrenses for helping him win a seat in 2007 and also pledged to be their voice in the Senate, and to support Bacolod and Negros Occidental in their future undertakings, to include its infrastructure projects.

He said he will coordinate with the City Council to make sure that he can allocate funds for their pet projects.

During the program Trillanes said “The Philippine Independence Day is an important event in the history of the country where “our heroes have fought for our freedom that we may be able to establish our own government.”

He said “We should also recognize our countrymen who until now continue to struggle with poverty. Because many are poor, many are seeking greener pastures abroad.”

They cannot be blamed because they have been neglected and abused by the country’s former leaders who have reportedly stolen about P400 billion from the coffers of the government, based on investigations he had conducted, Trillanes said.

Many houses could have been constructed for the poor and many who are sick could have been treated, and many classrooms could have been built, and jobs provided, using these funds, he said.

Trillanes, however, said “We should not lose hope for as long as we unite and cooperate with each other, we could attain the freedom and progress that we dream of for our country.”

Acting Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson said “Our freedom was bought with a great price by our forefathers and predecessors. For President Benigno Aquino III and his allies, in order to free the huge number of our countrymen from the shackles of poverty, we have to walk the right path—‘ang tuwid na daan’--especially the leaders of our country, be they in government, business or communications media.”

He said together with Mayor Evelio Leonardia and the members of the Sanggunian Panlungsod, barangay and other city officials, fully agrees with the President, because in Bacolod City, they have practiced good governance, and as a result, the city has enjoyed sustained economic growth and development.

Sayson said that, because of the “tuwid na daan” observed by the Leonardia administration, of which he is a senior member, the city’s growth has been rapid since 2004. Prestigious institutions validated the dynamism and vibrancy of the economy of Bacolod, he said.

The sustained growth and development of Bacolod are easy to see as they are manifest concretely in the continued rise of new buildings, the upgrading of old ones, and the sprouting of new establishments in several areas of the city, Sayson added.

Also present at the rites were the councilors of Bacolod, Bacolod Police Director Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz, war veterans, teacher and government employees.

Meanwhile, Sayson said Trillanes has funded the road concreting project near Singcang-Airport with a budget of about P1.5 million.

Trillanes has also allocated funds for medical assistance to indigent patients in public hospitals in Negros Occidental, as well as infrastructure projects.*CGS

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