Local News: Bacolod Mayor Complains of Malacañang Palace Snub

Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia has complained about being snubbed by Malacañang not once but twice already, the latest yesterday, during the Liberal Party (LP) convention in Talisay City’s Nature’s Village restaurant, where President Benigno Aquino III sworn in hundreds of Liberal Party (LP) - turned local officials and members yesterday. The President was unaware of the snub. Leonardia was not invited. President was unaware of the snub. Leonardia was not invited.

DILG Sec. Jesse Robredo (3rd fr left) assisted by City Mayor Evelio ‘Bing’ Leonardia (2nd) confers with Ramiro Garcia Jr. (1st), Crispin Chua (4th), Elbert Valencia (5th), representatives of local businessmen, regarding the difficulty of building owners in complying with the sprinkler system requirement of the fire code. Robredo advised Bacolod businessmen to channel their petition through the upper federation of their associations.*

Earlier, highly-reliable sources said, Leonardia also wrote a letter to Malacañang’s Communication Office, complaining about the fact that during Malacañang Spokesman Edwin Lacierda and Deputy Spokesperson, Abigail Valte’s visit to Bacolod City, they did not pay a visit to his office or pay a courtesy call upon him.

But those close to Lacierda and Valte, commented that it was not necessary for both to visit Leonardia.

As for yesterday’s snub, Leonardia was also not invited to a purely political party affair and his presence was not necessary there, the highly-reliable source added.

The sources recalled that whenever there would be important visitors to Bacolod City, Leonardia would show up at their suite or find ways to get in touch with them. But there are visits in which the personalities involved would prefer to keep to themselves or maintain a low-profile and would not want to talk with city government personalities for some reasons.

But in yesterday’s Liberal Party (LP) oath-taking ceremony, Mayor Leonardia was practically barred from going inside the venue, sources said. His presence was not welcomed, one of the organizers said.

The members of the LP which have been sworn in by the President would likely field a candidate or candidates during the May 2013 elections.

During the Lacierda visit, Leonardia wrote a formal complaint to the Malacañang Communications Office.

It may be recalled, complaints filed by whistleblowers Sarah Teresa Esguerra, were decided by Mark Jalandoni, Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon instead of by Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas, Pelagio Apostol. The complaints were then dismissed, and it has been bruited about that Leonardia and his people manipulated the same so that it would be dismissed because Leonardia had connections with a relative of Jalandoni.

The highly-reliable source told NNF that Leonardia does not fit in with Malacañang’s "Matuwid Na Landas" policy.*