Bacolod Election Officer Ryan Castro yesterday said he is not aware of the latest people’s initiative or petition filed by businessman Vladimir Gonzales opposing the proposed P250 million loan of the city for landbanking purposes.

Castro said what Gonzalez had earlier submitted to them is his previous petition opposing the P150 million loan of the city with the Philippine National Bank, but they returned it to him since there were requirements that he has yet to comply.

Gonzalez, who is planning to run for mayor of Bacolod in 2010, filed before the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod early this month 17 petitions seeking the repeal of SP Resolutions 873 and 866 approving a P250 million loan that the city government is planning to acquire from the Philippine Veterans Bank for the purchase of a new relocation site.

Castro said that once Gonzalez has complied with all the requirements, they will forward his petition to COMELEC Manila, referring to the first petition he tried to file with the Bacolod COMELEC Office.

It is the central office of COMELEC that will give the go signal if they should verify the signatures submitted by Gonzalez together with the petition, he said, adding that he also has to pay a certain filing fee.

Castro, however, said the people’s initiative may take a long process.

“Practically speaking, I do not know if we will still have time to verify the signatures considering that election is approaching. But if COMELEC Manila gives us the order, there is nothing we can do,” he said.

Castro said there will be a percentage of the number of voters that will be required in order for the initiative to push through.

Meanwhile, Castro said they are finalizing the list of registered voters and number of polling precincts in Bacolod to help them determine how many Precinct Count Optical Scan (PICOS) machines should be deployed in Bacolod. *CGS

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