BACOLOD City Council’s “lone wolf” is on a new mission.
Independent Councilor Wilson “Jun” Gamboa Jr. wants to scrutinize the multibillion-peso loans obtained by the city government under the administrations of former mayors Evelio “Bing” Leonardia and Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez.
Jun is pushing for the Commission on Audit (COA) to examine the implementation of projects and programs funded by a P1.7-billion loan under the Leonardia administration and a P4.4-billion loan under the Benitez administration.
To formalize his initiative, Jun sponsored a resolution in August requesting COA to conduct a comprehensive audit of how the city spent the loan proceeds. But before his resolution could undergo thorough deliberation, the council majority swiftly shot it down.
Instead of immediately seeking COA’s intervention, the majority supported Councilor Caesar Distrito’s proposal to allow the city’s finance committee to conduct its own review first.
The finance committee is composed of representatives from the City Treasurer’s Office, City Accountant’s Office and City Budget Office.
As of this writing, Jun is still awaiting the committee’s findings and final report.
But why does Jun appear so determined to peel back the layers of this financial onion? What is driving his relentless push for COA to scrutinize the city’s multibillion-peso borrowings?
Jun offered a straightforward explanation: “The city government has allocated P60 million a year for loans’ principal and interest.” He wanted to see where these loans were spent.
The councilor also cited monthly loan payments in the millions.
LOAN DURING LEONARDIA ADMIN
Let us examine the figures.
Under Leonardia’s administration, the P1.7-billion loan was earmarked for the following projects:
* Construction of the P800-million, 12,000-seat Bacolod MassKara Coliseum (status: ongoing)
* Development of the P350-million Progreso Village Relocation Site (status: completed)
* Site development, construction of a new activity center, and upgrading of facilities at Bacolod City College (status: completed)
* Construction of P200 million worth of roads and bridges (status: completed)
LOAN DURING BENITEZ ADMIN
During Benitez’s administration, the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) approved a list of projects and programs under the city’s P4.4-billion loan facility.
A document I obtained from DBP, which was received by the office of then-mayor and now-Congressman Albee Benitez on March 29, 2023, identified the following proposed expenditures:
* Acquisition of land for various development projects — P2 billion
* Construction of a legislative building — P515 million
* Construction of mini-hospitals in five barangays — P135 million
* Rehabilitation and improvement of the old City Hall — P233 million
* Rehabilitation and improvement of public markets — P525 million
* Improvement and construction of various roads — P300 million
* Improvement and construction of drainage systems — P320 million
* Asphalt overlay of various roads — P50 million
* Construction of a Bacolod warehouse — P67.9 million
* Construction of the City Engineering Motorpool — P30.8 million
* Improvement of the tree park in Alangilan — P47 million
* Construction of a pedestrian mall — P50 million
* Construction of a city health complex — P220 million
* Establishment of a recovery and recycling complex and eco-park — P103 million
* Construction of central archives — P184 million
* Installation of underground cabling — P300 million
* Construction and installation of solar power generation systems in various barangays and at the Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC) — P100 million
* Construction of a traffic signalization system — P25 million
WHERE ARE THEY?
“So, where are these listed projects under DBP’s P4.4 billion?” Jun asked.
“It is our right to ask now, ‘di ba,” he added. “Furthermore, we must ask COA to help check the veracity of the implementation of these projects.”
Jun stressed that with the city reportedly paying P46 million monthly toward its loans, Bacolodnons have every right to know where the borrowed money went, which projects have actually been implemented, and how the public has benefited from them.
“What I am doing right now is not politicking. This is about transparency. This is about accountability for the people’s money,” he emphasized.
And Jun is not stopping with the P1.7-billion and P4.4-billion loans.
He also intends to scrutinize the city’s P2.1-billion Service Contract Loan (SCL) arrangement with High Data Infra Inc., involving a 10-year public-private partnership (PPP) for the establishment of a smart command system.
Clearly, Jun is digging deeper. And the deeper he digs, the more questions he wants answered.
For this, I find his determination admirable. Being the council’s lone wolf is certainly no easy role. He faces an uphill battle, especially when his initiatives run against the wishes of the majority. Yet Jun continues to demonstrate remarkable courage.
HIS FATHER’S SON
Well, he truly is his father’s son.
Jun’s father, the late Wilson Gamboa Sr., was a human rights advocate who served as a city councilor, assemblyman, defense undersecretary and administrator of the Sugar Regulatory Administration.
Wilson Sr. was known for his courage, fierce convictions and brilliant mind. And gradually, Jun appears to be following in his father’s footsteps.
Kaya n’ya, actually. But there is a striking difference between the political landscape of yesterday and that of today.
Money has become an indispensable weapon in modern politics. Unfortunately, Jun does not have much of it. What he does possess, however, are two qualities that money cannot easily buy: wit and courage. And sometimes, those qualities are more powerful than a well-funded political machinery.
Of course, Jun may once again be misunderstood, criticized or even politically isolated for the way he is peeling this onion. But his insistence on scrutinizing the city’s loans reflects what appears to be a genuine desire for transparency and accountability. After all, asking where billions of pesos in public borrowings went should never be considered an act of political hostility. It is a legitimate exercise of public oversight.
Jun knows he is treading a thorny path. He also knows that every layer he peels away could expose him to political attacks and personal criticism. Yet he appears willing to endure the consequences. For him, what matters is uncovering the facts so Bacolodnons can understand how their city’s borrowed billions were spent. And that is precisely why an independent audit matters.
The issue is not simply whether the loans were legally obtained. It is whether the borrowed funds were properly utilized, whether the promised projects were delivered, and whether taxpayers received value for the debts they will continue paying.
In short, Jun wants to bring into the open everything that deserves public scrutiny about Bacolod’s multibillion-peso loans. His crusade brings to mind a powerful observation attributed to American author and educator Stephen Covey: “Accountability breeds response-ability.”
Indeed, accountability should not frighten public officials who have nothing to hide. If the projects were properly implemented, an audit should help establish that fact. If there were deficiencies, delays or questionable expenditures, the public deserves to know.
And if everything is aboveboard, why should anyone be afraid of an independent examination?
But here is the bigger question: Will anyone in the City Council have the courage to stand beside Jun as he continues peeling this political onion? Or will Bacolod’s lone wolf be left to face the pack all by himself?
Let’s see!/PN
