4 Bacolod ‘kaps’ face disqualification raps

BACOLOD City – Four incumbent village chiefs in this capital city were facing disqualification complaints for receiving financial assistance from the city government.

The complaints were separately filed before the Commission on Elections (Comelec)-Bacolod on May 11.

Residents Emmanuel Rectra, Salvacion Penuela, Rogelio Ermeo, and Rufino Alcala lodged the complaints against village chiefs Jose Ma. Leandro De Leon (Vista Alegre), Leonilo Colejado (41), Rossini Distrito (Singcang-Airport), and Leah Palma (Punta Taytay), respectively.

De Leon, Distrito and Palma sought reelection and were already proclaimed winners by Comelec.

According to the complainants, the four village chiefs violated Section 38, Article 6 of the Omnibus Election Code which states that the “barangay election shall be nonpartisan and shall be conducted in an expeditious and inexpensive manner.”

The financial assistance that the complainants were referring to was the one intended for cleanup activities, like drainage de-clogging, in Bacolod villages provided for under Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) Resolution 411 dated April 4.

A total of 25 villages in the city availed themselves of the financial aid, ranging from P140,000 to P320,000.

Among them were Barangay Vista Alegre, which got P200,000, Barangay 41, P140,000, Singcang-Airport, P320,000, and Barangay Punta Taytay, P200,000.

Councilor Caesar Distrito, chairman of the SP committee on laws, ordinances and good government, said the complaints have no “legal basis,” adding that they are “purely politicking and harassment.”

“There is no law that prohibits the city from giving assistance for projects to one barangay or few barangays or all barangays,” Distrito stressed, “It is within the executive power of the mayor to prioritize where the funds would be put into, including granting of funds for projects to the barangays.”

He also said the funds were requested for release prior to the election period that began on April 14.

Distrito added that even if the financial aids were distributed during the election period, no law prohibits such.

“During barangay elections, the city is not covered in the prohibition from implementing projects, only barangay funds,” he said.

The councilor believes that the Comelec will “surely” dismiss the “baseless and unfounded” complaints./PN

 

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