By CESAR JOLITO III

Bacolod City Lone District Representative Alfredo Abelardo Benitez dismissed recent legal questions raised against the projects implemented during his term as city mayor, calling them a form of “political harassment.”

In a radio interview, Benitez said all projects under his administration strictly followed due process and underwent complete transparency.

“We were transparent, and we hid nothing from the people,” the congressman stressed.

Among the projects under scrutiny is the Build-Transfer-Maintain (BTM) Agreement between Bacolod City and High Data Infra Corp. for the proposed “Super City” project.

Benitez maintained that the deal complied with the Public-Private Partnership Code of the Philippines, noting that the process took more than two years because of the stringent requirements.

He expressed confidence that the cases filed against him would eventually be dismissed in court, emphasizing that the accusations had no solid legal basis.

Benitez acknowledged that such issues come within the territory of public service but stood firm on the integrity of his record as mayor.

“This is part of the job of a public official, but I am confident that the truth will prevail,” he said.

The case stemmed from the late broadcaster Rolando Baliguat’s complaint over the BTM agreement.

Baliguat alleged violations of Republic Act 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, involving Benitez, almost all sitting city councilors, former officials and executives of the private proponent.

Benitez rejected claims that the contract was disadvantageous to the government, citing a value-for-money analysis that showed the project would modernize the city’s infrastructure./CJ, WDJ