Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez is not aware of alleged criminal and administrative complaints filed against him and some city officials regarding a land purchase deal of the city government, his spokesperson Caesar Distrito said Sunday, March 16.
“I have no idea regarding an alleged criminal and admin complaints filed against me and other city officials. If it was out in the media before even serving us a copy of the alleged complaint, then it is purely an election propaganda and a ploy to create noise for election purposes,” Benitez said in the press statement issued by Distrito said.
Previous mayors who purchased land before were mostly charged also, and all cases were dismissed by the Ombudsman, he said.
“The land purchased by the city is part of its land banking, and for a housing program and various developmental projects of the city. I assure all Bacolodnons that it was above-board and had complied with all the processes required under the law”, he said.
It will pass any legal scrutiny, Benitez said.
Allegations on social media that the land is covered by the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program is fake news. They are barking up the wrong tree, Benitez added.*