AMBO DELILAN
BACOLOD CITY — A call to widen scrutiny of Bacolod City’s loan-funded projects reportedly triggered a confrontation between Congressman Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez and City Councilor Homer Bais, who accused the lawmaker of slamming a table during a heated exchange at a dinner gathering on Friday evening, October 16.
“Albee slammed the table first. I just responded the same thing,” Bais said in an exclusive interview on Saturday, October 17, recounting the incident at the lobby of the Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC) shortly after 6 pm.
Bais also confirmed making the remark, “Ti, ano kung Benitez ka!?” (So, what if you’re a Benitez?), which he said was an instinctive response after the congressman allegedly slammed the table while they were talking.
“I really didn’t expect him to do that in front of me,” Bais said.
The councilor said he was defending his dignity during the encounter, despite his political alliance with Benitez.
“May dignidad pa man ko nga dapat tipigan,” Bais said. (I still have my dignity to protect.)
He described the alleged action as unwarranted and said he would not allow himself to be humiliated in public.
Benitez had yet to respond to requests for comment sent through SMS and Viber as of Saturday.
Dispute over unfinished projects?
Bais traced the confrontation to his manifestation during a recent regular session of the Sangguniang Panlungso (SP), where Councilor Em Ang proposed a resolution seeking detailed status reports on the unfinished Bacolod MassKara Coliseum and museum-auditorium in Barangays Tangub and Alijis.
Ang wanted information on the projects’ construction progress, the causes of delays, development plans and target completion dates.
The projects, valued at P800 million, were started during the administration of former mayor Evelio “Bing” Leonardia and funded through the city’s P1.7-billion loan secured under his administration.
Bais said he suggested expanding the review to include other projects financed through the city’s loans, rather than limiting the inquiry to the two facilities.
Independent Councilor Wilson “Jun” Gamboa Jr. supported the manifestation. However, the council had yet to act on it because it had not suspended its rules, according to the account provided.
Bais said the issue reportedly reached Benitez before the Friday gathering.
Upon arriving at the BCGC lobby, Benitez allegedly approached Bais and asked him about his manifestation.
Bais said the congressman slammed the table while he was explaining his position, prompting him to respond in kind.
Councilor Caesar Distrito reportedly intervened and pacified Bais before the latter left the dinner area.
The incident drew attention on social media, where some users praised Bais for standing his ground against Benitez, a businessman and gaming industry figure. However, the account of the confrontation remains based on Bais’ version, as Benitez had yet to comment.
Proposed audit covers billions in loans
The confrontation comes amid calls for greater scrutiny of projects funded through P6.1 billion in loans secured by the city under the Leonardia and Benitez administrations.
In July, Gamboa proposed a resolution asking the Commission on Audit (COA) to conduct a comprehensive audit of projects financed through Leonardia’s P1.7-billion loan and Benitez’s P4.4-billion loan.
Projects listed under Leonardia’s loan include the MassKara Coliseum and museum-auditorium, the P350-million Progreso Village relocation site, improvements at Bacolod City College, and P200 million worth of roads and bridges.
The coliseum and museum-auditorium were listed as ongoing, while the other three projects were listed as completed in the information provided.
Under Benitez’s P4.4-billion loan, listed projects include P2 billion for land acquisition for development projects, P515 million for a legislative building, P135 million for mini hospitals in five barangays, P233 million for improvements to the old city hall, and P525 million for public market rehabilitation.
Other allocations cover road and drainage works, a warehouse, an engineering motor pool, a tree park in Alangilan, a pedestrian mall, a city health complex, a recovery and recycling complex and eco-park, a central archives facility, underground cabling, solar power systems and traffic signalization.
Gamboa said he received several calls between 6:45 pm and 7:30 pm on Friday warning him not to proceed to the dinner gathering.
He said he empathized with Bais, maintaining that the councilor’s manifestation was intended to promote fairness, transparency, financial soundness and accountability.
Gamboa described the incident as a “blessing in disguise,” saying he was already tired and had no plans to attend the gathering that evening.*
