By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Truth Commission set up by Mayor-elect Alfredo “Albee” Benitez has red flagged more than P1.5 billion in transactions made by the administration of outgoing Bacolod City Mayor Evelio “Bing” Leonardia.

In a press conference held yesterday afternoon, Atty. Bong Dilag, Benitez’s spokesperson, said upon the mayor-elect’s assumption of office, he will immediately issue an executive order creating a committee that will help ensure a clean transparent government, adopting the best practices of local government units.

So far based on available reports released by the Commission on Audit, the Truth Commission would require a more detailed examination of the outgoing administration’s transactions amounting to more than P1.5 billion, Dilag said.

Among the transactions, he said, include cash grants and advances, landfill facilities and sanitation services, local disaster risk reduction and management fund, supplies inventory accounts, emergency funds, and unimplemented projects.

In a separate statement issued by Benitez himself, he said during this transition period, they shall take the opportunity to assess their starting point.

He said the findings of the committee shall serve as their guide in moving forward in order to ensure that they have a transparent, responsive and efficient government.

“To achieve our goal of good governance, it may be a necessary consequence to hold accountable those public officials who may have violated our laws,” Benitez said.

He further added the goal of their process is to serve as a warning to all those serving under his administration to strictly adhere to existing laws and proper procedure so as to avoid the grand malevolent schemes committed in the past./DGB, WDJ