Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia said he will call the attention of the Department of Public Works and Highways to the diggings along Lacson Street in Bacolod City after it had only recently covered the manholes under its asphalt overlay project.

Leonardia said the DPWH should explain this, especially because, everywhere he goes, people are commenting about it, and the obvious waste of funds on it.

The popular sentiment is that the people are not happy about the asphalt overlay project because they see it as a wrong sense of priority, he said. There are lots of priority projects that could have been funded, aside from the asphalt overlay that did not seem necessary, he added.

Leonardia said it is, indeed, not a necessity, and it is purely for “cosmetics.”

“While they technically call it preventive maintenance, they could have done it after working on projects that are of higher priority," he said.

The asphalt overlay project in San Juan Street already have potholes, Leonardia said. He is also worried, since there are areas in Lacson Street that are prone to flooding and this may also create potholes, he said.

Since the controversial asphalt overlay project had to be excavated, because it covered the manholes along Lacson Street, Leonardia tagged Bacolod Rep. Anthony Golez, Jr. "Congressman Sampaw, Lukit (overlay, dig up)."

Golez, on the other hand, had earlier called Leonardia “Mayor sawsaw, palapaw.”

Golez was not accessible for comment as of press time last night.

Leonardia also said that, in fairness to the DPWH people, they had informed the city that by next year, they have many other overlay projects to be implemented.

Leonardia said "I am a citizen of Bacolod. I am not even speaking as a Mayor but out of concern for the judicious use of our precious funds.”

He said there are a lot of projects that lack funding like the Sum-ag road which has remained as an “abortion road” for so many years now.

Leonardia said they will also call the attention of the DPWH to speed up the completion of the Circumferential Road project as the MassKara Festival is fast approaching.*CGS

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