Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaan, who is running for mayor of Bacolod City, on Friday, March 28, vowed to serve the city with integrity, compassion and competence.
His will be a leadership that will bring the government closer to the people and will be transparent and consultative, Familiaran said.
Familiaran along with former Bacolod mayor Evelio “Bing” Leonardia who is running for congressman, Councilor Renecito Novero for vice mayor and his councilor bets inaugurated the Team El Cid General Headquarters, and held a press conference and a rally at the Bacolod Public Plaza on Friday, March 28.
The Team El Cid press conference*
Team El Cid’s vision is to make Bacolod “a most competitive and most livable City where business and industry flourish in an atmosphere of peace and fair competition, where government serves its people responsibly and with transparency”.
Familiaran said they have identified the pressing problems of the city that they will address if elected to office.
“We assure that we will consult all sectors to address all the problems that we are facing,” he said.
Familiaran said the city government will have to start paying P600 to P700 million annually starting next year for an P8.2 billion loan – P6.5 billion incurred under the administration of Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez and P1.7 billion from the Leonardia administration.
He said the annual payments could have instead been used for services for Bacolodnons.
Benitez, on the other hand, denied the claim of Familiaran that a P6.5 billion loan was incurred under his administration (https://digicastnegros.com/albee-greg-vow-to-continue-making-bacolod-a-super-city/).
Familiaran said he will continue some of the projects started by Benitez that are good for the city like the Bacolod Comprehensive Health Program and the tree park project that will attract tourists.
Leoanardia said he was mayor of Bacolod for 18 years and what Bacolod is today is largely because of the work he started.
He is running for congressman to continue the accelerate growth of Bacolod that he started, Leonardia said.
Rep. Stephen Paduano (Abang Lingkod) endorsed the candidacy of Familiaran for mayor.
Paduano was previously seen as an ally of Benitez of Team Asenso.
He is not endorsing the candidacy of Leonardia, but neither is he campaigning for Benitez, Paduano said.
The Team El Cid candidates for councilor are Archie Baribar, Lindy de Leon, Wilson Gamboa, Ken Paolo Gilo, Bebeng Noble, Ana Marie Palermo, Pepito Pico, Lilian Sembrano, Macho Villafuerte, Christian Weber, Beboy Yap and Bebe Yulo.
The police estimated the crowd at the Team El Cid really at the Bacolod public plaza at 6,000.*