Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia yesterday said the celebration of the Charter Day of Bacolod will push through on June 18.

Leonardia said it is the celebration of the signing of Bacolod City into law. “It is an event that is historically significant to us,” he said.

He said Bacolod Rep. Anthony Golez Jr. did not do his homework when he attacked the celebration of the city’s Charter Day in Congress.

The charter day issue was brought to his attention a long time ago but he did nothing about it, he said.

Because he was proven wrong, he now wants to talk, Leonardia said in reaction to an article where Golez said he is willing to sit down with city officials to discuss the charter day concerns.

Golez delivered a privilege speech at the House of Representatives where he asked for an inquiry on what he called a violation of the rule of law, that he claimed was perpetrated by local city officials in the celebration of the Charter Day of Bacolod.

He claimed that R.A. 7724 states that the Charter Day of Bacolod is in October and that celebrating the city’s charter day on June 18, is contrary to the mandate of the law.

Leonardia said that because Golez is not from Bacolod, he does not know what is happening here.

They were in the process of reconciliation or negotiation, but suddenly he was texted by his congressmen friends that Golez was attacking him in Congress, he said.

The fact will remain that the law creating the City of Bacolod was signed on June 18, 1938 and its last provision states that the act will take effect upon approval, Leonardia said. The same provisions are found in R.A. 7724, he said.

Leonardia had already issued Executive Order No. 05-A, Series of 2012 creating the Organizing Committee tasked to prepare and spearhead the weeklong celebration for the 114th Independence Day celebration on June 12, to the 74th Charter day celebration on June 18, and the celebration of Jose Rizal’s 151st birthday.

Meanwhile, Leonardia recalled that Golez denied any involvement in a manifesto pushing for a Leonardia-Golez-Sayson line-up.

He was told that when the barangay captains went to the house of Golez, the manifesto was already prepared.

Leonardia said before this, he met Golez in one of the hotels in Bacolod and the solon proposed the Leonardia-Golez-Sayson team so former Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella, who is eyeing the mayoralty seat, will not win.

Two days later, Golez invited the barangays captains to his house which they said was in the guise of the disaster center inauguration, he said, but they were made to sign a manifesto.

Leonardia said he and Sayson continue to talk and will make an official announcement after consulting with their party, the Nationalist People’s Coalition.*CGS

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