A group, including journalist Edgar Cadagat and former city contractors Antonio Wong and Perfecto Señeres, recently penned an open letter to President Rodrigo Duterte and the PDP-Laban, requesting an investigation into Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia and “his gang” on alleged “graft and corruption to its highest order.”

They provided a list of alleged crimes committed by Leonardia and those around him, including a P24 million purchase of a dumpsite, where no title was provided and the Commission on Audit found to be P5 million overpriced; a P150 million waste management contracted accused of being rigged in favor of IPM Construction and Development Corporation (IPM-CDC); P270 million in travel expenses; among other allegations.

They noted the Office of the Ombudsman has failed to act on any of the items listed, with the exception of the P50 million purchase of furniture and fixtures for the Bacolod City Government Center, which resulted in the dismissal of the mayor and nine other officials, but was later overturned by the Court of Appeals-Visayas Station.

In addition, they also warned, “More Ombudsman corruption cases coming.”

Recently, former Negros Occidental Board Member Victor Puey filed a complaint before the Supreme Court against the three Court of Appeals justices who voted to overturn the Ombudsman decision against Leonardia; along with earlier filing a complaint affidavit to the Office of the Ombudsman to conduct a follow-up investigation

“President Duterte was right when he lambasted the Ombudsman,” the group’s letter noted. “Justice delayed is justice denied.”

The letter also took note of the case surrounding Penjan Builders and Supply, a supplier of construction materials for the rehabilitation of damaged uncemented roads in various Bacolod City barangays, who, back in January, filed a complaint with then-Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Ismael Sueno, requesting his agency conduct an investigation into the city government, specifically, Executive Assistant Eduardo Ravena and Secretary to the Mayor, Atty. Edward Joseph Cuansing.

At the time, Wong claimed the city was nine months overdue in payments owed to their company.

In the letter, they claim Penjan Builders and Supply has yet to receive “a single cent” of the P3.774 million for goods ordered back in September 2016 by Ravena, City Accountant Corazon Cardel, and City Administrator John Orola.

In March of 2017, Wong and Cadagat were also part of a group that filed a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman claiming Leonardia and his Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) violated RA 9184, or the Government Procurement Reform Act, during the selection process for a waste management contractor for the city.

They claimed, between a supposed lack of transparency and a short time frame, the city was stacking the deck in favor of current waste management contractor IPM-CDC.

In addition, they also accused the mayor and his political allies of being “balimbing” after ditching the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) for the ruling PDP-Laban.

Last year, following Duterte’s election to the presidency, Leonardia, Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, and their Grupo Progreso party mates in the Bacolod City Sangguniang Panlungsod joined the president’s party.

As of press time, the mayor has yet to provide a response./PLL, WDJ