Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez unveiled the portrait of former mayor Monico Puentevella at the Bacolod City Government Center gallery of mayors Monday morning, August 1.
Also up are the portraits of Benitez and Rep. Greg Gasataya who served as acting mayor of Bacolod from Nov. 16, 2015 to Feb. 15, 2016.
Puentevella, who was the 26th mayor of Bacolod from June 2013 to June 2016, said for nine years the previous administration did not put his portrait up because of “immature and petty politics”.
Benitez said all mayors of Bacolod deserve to have a picture in the gallery, he does not know why Puentevella’s was not there.
When he first went to the government center he noticed that the portraits of Puentevella and Gasataya were not there, Benitez said.
“We rectified historical facts of all those who served as mayor of the city of Bacolod”, Benitez said.
Puentevella thanked Benitez for giving him justice, respect and recognition as a former mayor of Bacolod.
He also lamented that the previous administration also did not release the terminal pay of his staff.
Puentevella called on Bacolodnons to support the Benitez administration. It is time the city has a young and dynamic leader in order for it to recover, he said.
“It is time to bury petty politics in Bacolod, it’s time for change,” Puentevella said.*