Local News: ‘Mayor’s E.O. cannot repeal RA 7724' - Golez

In an apparent move to defend the Law, Bacolod Lone District Congressman Anthony Golez unleashed its yet fierce attack on Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia.

"Bacolod Mayor has no power, no authority, to change Bacolod Charter Day from October 19 to June 18 by his mere Executive Order 15-A issued June 9, 2011; that is not only a gross usurpation of power of the House, but a insult to the Filipino people represented by the congressmen and women that passed the Republic Act 7724 declaring October 19 as a non-working public holiday to celebrate Bacolod’s Charter Day," said Bacolod lone district Congressman Anthony Golez in a phone interview yesterday with Sun.Star Bacolod.

"June 18 is the signing of the Charter Day law and October 19 is the Charter Day celebration of Bacolod," clarified Golez, adding "these are clearly two different things and Mayor Leonardia should have no confusion about it."

Golez stressed that "the consummation of Bacolod’s Charter Day is on October 19 because it is also the day its first mayor was appointed. How can Bacolod be a city on June 18 when there was no mayor yet?"

The Commonwealth Act 326 signed on June 18, 1938 took effect only October 19 with the appointment of its mayor, said Golez who also clarified that Philippine laws have always been patterned after the U.S. laws and parliamentary processes.

"Both Leonardia and Councilor Cesar Distrito are constitutionally wrong and morally embarrassing by playing semantics to deceive Bacolodnons and the Filipino people in asserting that June 18 is the real Charter Day, when it was only the day it was signed into law not its full effect," Golez said.

Golez also stressed that per RA 7724, the October 19 Charter Day celebration will be highlighted by Masskara Festivities, adding that Masskara is not the Charter Day and vice versa, but it is only part of the Charter Day celebration.

Golez further said that his clarification on "the issue of Charter Day is of great significance to Bacolodnons and the Filipino people in general because it is an act of defending and protecting the sanctity of our laws from the abuses and manipulations of government officials and leaders who have intellectual pretensions and lack a right sense of history, only to advance their vested political interests."

"This is very reason why I refused to participate in the Charter Day anniversary last June 18, 2011; I didn’t want to be a party of an illegal activity, and illegal use of taxpayer’s money for said activity," Golez said.

Golez also laughed off reports that Leonardia and his allied councilors are mulling of lobbying to President Benigno Aquino III to either recognize E.O. 15-A of Leonardia or move for the amendment of RA 7724.

"Two wrongs can never be corrected by a third wrong," Golez said.

He concluded in challenging Leonardia and Distrito to "give more time to correcting and improving their city leadership and services to the Bacolodnons who are already in dire strait under their administration. They should do more discernment to seek guidance from God in facing and solving the numerous problems the city government faces."*(Brent Pelayo)