The order from the Office of the Ombudsman for Bacolod Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez and 16 others, including members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod, to file their counter-affidavits to a complaint for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act was merely a procedural matter.
“We are confident that this baseless case will immediately be dismissed for lack of probable cause and merit,” Bacolod Councilor Caesar Distrito, spokesman for Benitez, said on Friday, August 15.
Distrito dismissed the complaint, filed by the late mediaman Rolando M. Baliguat shortly before the May elections, as “baseless and politically motivated.”
Benitez and the other respondents have already submitted their counter-affidavits, Distrito said in a press statement.
The complaint concerns the Build-Transfer-Maintain (BTM) Agreement between the Bacolod City government and Highdata Infra Corp. for the Bacolod “Super City” Project.
“This complaint is built on speculation, legal misinterpretation, and political malice,” Distrito said, adding that the allegation that the contract is “grossly disadvantageous” to the government is unfounded.
“A comprehensive Value-for-Money analysis confirmed that the project delivers substantial public benefit: modernization of city infrastructure through a Centralized Command Center, intelligent street lighting with surveillance analytics, and enhanced tax mapping and GIS systems—all without any unlawful disbursement of public funds,” he said.
Distrito stated that from day one, the project was undertaken in full compliance with the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Code of the Philippines (R.A. 11966), the Bacolod P4 Ordinance, and all other applicable laws. It underwent almost two years of rigorous evaluation, Swiss Challenge proceedings, multi-agency review, and legal vetting by both the City Legal Office and the PPP Center, he said.
He added that every stage — from the unsolicited proposal to the final ratification by the Sangguniang Panlungsod — was thoroughly documented, transparent, and subjected to proper institutional oversight.
Distrito said the PPP Code expressly allows partnerships with newly registered corporations that pass capability evaluations. He added that the election period ban cited by the complainant applies only to actual disbursements, which never occurred.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod’s decision to fast-track the approval of City Ordinance No. 1089 was a valid legislative prerogative under the Local Government Code, he said.
“No public rights were compromised. No public asset was surrendered. The Centralized Command Center — contrary to misleading assertions— remains fully owned and controlled by the City and serves multiple public purposes beyond the PPP project,” Distrito said.
Distrito called on the public to recognize the project for what it truly is: “an investment in Bacolod’s future, aimed at making our city safer, smarter, and more competitive.”
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