• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Bacolod City Lone District Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez has dismissed as “baseless and politically motivated” the complaint filed against him and almost all members of the City Council, and other individuals before the Office of the Ombudsman.
The complaint filed by the late broadcaster Rolando Baliguat concerns the build-transfer-maintain agreement between the City of Bacolod and Highdata Infra Corp. for the Bacolod “Super City” Project.
“From day one, this project was undertaken in full compliance with the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Code of the Philippines, the Bacolod P4 Ordinance, and all other applicable laws,” Benitez said in a statement.
He added: “It underwent almost two years of rigorous evaluation, Swiss Challenge proceedings, multi-agency review, and legal vetting by both the City Legal Office and the PPP Center. Every stage – from the unsolicited proposal to the final ratification by the City Council – was thoroughly documented, transparent, and subjected to proper institutional oversight.”
Benitez, Councilors Al Victor Espino, Israel Salanga, Celia Matea Flor, Psyche Marie Sy Lady Glez Gonzales-Pallen, Jason Isidro Villarosa, Em Ang, then Councilor Cindy Rojas, Vladimir Gonzales and Simplicia Distrito, and now Vice Mayor Claudio Jesus Raymundo Puentevella, and five other officials of Highdata Infra Corp. were charged by Baliguat before the Ombudsman for alleged violation of Republic Act 3019 also known as the Anti-Graft Corrupt Practices Act.
Finding enough basis to proceed with the criminal investigation of the aforementioned case/s, the Ombudsman ordered the respondents to file their respective counter affidavit and other controverting evidence on the complaint.
Benitez said the allegation that the contract is “grossly disadvantageous” to the government is unfounded.
A comprehensive value-for-money analysis confirmed that the project delivers substantial public benefit: modernization of city infrastructure through a centralized command center, intelligent street lighting with surveillance analytics, and enhanced tax mapping and GIS systems – all without any unlawful disbursement of public funds, he added.
“Questions raised about the proponent’s capability, the timing of the contract, and supposed procedural lapses disregard both fact and law,” the lawmaker said.
He also pointed out that the PPP Code expressly allows partnerships with newly-registered corporations that pass capability evaluations.
Furthermore, the City Council’s decision to fast-track approval of City Ordinance No. 1089 was a valid legislative prerogative under the Local Government Code.
“No public rights were compromised. No public asset was surrendered,” he added. | GB
