The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Negros Occidental approved during its regular session a resolution ejecting the Negros Cooperative Bank from the provincial government-owned Capitol Lagoon Park.
Board Member Andrew Montelibano (3rd district), who authored the resolution, said the bank “violated its deed of usufruct with the provincial government.”
“The contract between the provincial government and the bank started in 2007 and it was reviewed in 2017 where an extension of 40 years was agreed upon,” Montelibano said.
He said under the contract, the use of the land is free but it will the bank that will pay its own water and electricity bills.
However, he said the Provincial Legal Office (PLO) conducted research and discovered that the bank’s electrical connection is connected with the Capitol building.
“I think that is not right. They are doing business but it seems that from land and utilities all is free courtesy of the Capitol,” he pointed out.
Montelibano added that they still have to check if the bank has a sub-meter or tapping directly to the line of the Capitol.
It was the Provincial Engineering Office that actually discovered these and submitted its findings to the PLO, he said.
There is also the issue of conflict of interest, Montelibano said, adding that Nestor Bayona, the signatory for the bank was also a consultant for cooperative development under the administration of former governor Alfredo Marañon Jr.
Asked if they will call Bayona to attend the regular session, Montelibano said the work of the SP is already done, “it will be with the PLO now on what action they intend to do next.”
For Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer, he is supporting the move even if Bayona is considered an ally of Marañon, founder and chairman of the United Negros Alliance, of which he is the president.
“I don’t want to see politics in the move,” Ferrer said, because Bayona “is also a friend.”
“If there is a violation of the contract, then the provincial government has the right to rescind it,” the vice governor said.
Bayona has not issued a statement to the move of the SP.*(N.O. PIO via ndb)