Re-electionist Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. called “highly irresponsible and myopic” statements issued by his rival, Vice Gov. Genaro Alvarez, in a noontime radio interview yesterday, a press release from the United Negros Alliance said.

“The problem with our critics is that they are talking without knowing the real facts,” Marañon said, apparently referring also to the earlier statement made by Rep. Alfredo Belardo Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3 rd District), who claimed in a press conference that only Alvarez can save the province from bankruptcy.

Alvarez, in an interview over dyHBRayoAgong, hit the governor, saying that corruption at the Capitol should be stopped; that it should be ran the way household affairs are managed; that the loans incurred by the province are spent on useless projects such as hospitals, schools and income-generating programs, and that five-star condominiums should be built inside the Mambukal Resort with private partners, the press release said.

BANKRUPTCY CLAIM

Marañon laughed off Alvarez's allegations and said he hopes his opponent would be more responsible and stop propagandizing the issue on loans and bankruptcy.

“If your organization is bankrupt, you are unable to pay your lawful obligations. There was no instance when we failed to meet our responsibilities,” the governor said.

Official records from the Provincial Treasurer's Office show that, as of April 25, 2013, the Provincial Government's total current and time deposit accounts reached more than P1.69 billion combined, Marañon said.

He added the vice governor and his camp have access to all these records but are giving wrong information to Negrenses. Now, who is the master of black propaganda? the governor asked.

Marañon said that there had never been an instance under his administration when the Provincial Government was headed to insolvency.

STOP THE LIES

“Stop peddling lies. Know your facts. Tell the truth. Do not mislead the Negrenses. Such posturing is an insult to the intelligence of our people,” Sangguniang Panlalawigan Member Dr. Melvin Ibañez of the Fifth District appealed to Alvarez and allies, the press release said.

HIGHLY IRRESPONSIBLE

Marañon also said the call of Alvarez to “stop corruption” at the Capitol is a sweeping statement and highly irresponsible coming from a governor-wannabe. Transactions in the province are all aboveboard. They were approved by the SP headed by Alvarez, and they passed through the bidding process,” Marañon added.

MYOPIC

“It is unfortunate that he has a myopic view and a wrong appreciation of the enormous tasks of a governor. There is no single household whose affairs come close to the multi-faceted responsibilities of running a province as big as Negros Occidental,” he added.

He also said, the province needs more than just food, shelter and livelihood for its constituents.

“We need to aspire beyond the basics in order to maximize our potentials,” he said.

INCONSISTENT

Ibañez, meanwhile, said that Alvarez, during interviews by the media, is always contradicting his own platform which he claims is pushing for free education, free hospitalization, provision of livelihood to Negrenses, Ibañez noted.

He is attacking the construction of district hospitals, school buildings, roads and the Cyber Centre that will give about 12,000 jobs to young Negrenses, funded by the province's close to P900 million loan, he said, adding that the soon-to-rise ICT complex at Paglaum Sports Complex will pay for itself.

Alvarez claimed as “wala pulos (no use)” investing in these endeavors. “It's clearly inconsistent with what he is saying,” Ibañez said. He also warned the public of the rival camp's consistent lies about the total amount of loans incurred by the province.

MAMBUKAL

Both Marañon and Ibanez said Alvarez has a low regard for the state of the Mambukal Resort environment. Alvarez had pushed for the construction of condominium buildings and 5-star hotels inside Mambukal with private partners.

The UNA runningmates said it is a pity that Alvarez is not doing his homework because such development is violative of environment laws. There are issues in this like the carrying capacity, damage to natural terrain, preservation issues and the likes. There are certainly other places where he can put up his condominiums and posh hotels, but not in Mambukal, they added.*

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