Local News: Golez Dares Leonardia: ’Be Serious with Banago Port Development’

Bacolod lone district Congressman Anthony Rolanto T. "Doc" Golez yesterday dared Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia to be serious with the develop-ment of the Banago Port, saying "it is a public interest, not mine nor of Leonardia, make your move fast."

Congressman Golez added that Leonardia is skirting the issue by making dodging statements; "If he is truly and sincerely serious to help develop the Banago port, which is a government-managed port, he should have acted when I requested last year; but look what he did, he wants to sleep on it and now he says again, he needs longer time to study it.."

The Provincial Development Council and the Provincial governor acted swiftly on my request last year because they fully appreciated the value of having a good public port, added Congressman Golez.

Golez also chided Leo-nardia on his actuation that "shows his bad politics, the politics of blocking or delaying any project that is not his initiative, because it might bolster the political value of his opponent."

"I don’t care who gets the credit for this project; all I am interested is that parties concerned should cooperate so this gets done immediately, so people can benefit from it," Golez stressed.

Congressman Golez inaugurated last week the improvement and development of Banago Port Passenger Terminal and Port Management Office building and the port causeway.

He intends to develop Banago into the city’s first public port but he can’t go full swing because the mayor has not yet issued the Port Zone Delineation for Banago Port.

Such delineation is necessary to determine which part of the port and the foreshore area has reverted to the National Government and which part is still covered by the lease of Negros Navigation Company.*