Councilors: No lobby money for Lapuz cockpit franchise

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BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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Friday, Agusto 4, 2017
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ILOILO City – Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) members denied receiving lobby money for the approval of the franchise of Rockwell Lumber and Cockpit Arena in Barangay Don Esteban, Lapuz district.
In a majority vote, the city council approved the franchise ordinance on July 18.
Those who voted in favor of the ordinance were councilors Mandrei Malabor, Eduardo Peñaredondo, Reyland Hervias, Joshua Alim, Ely Estante, R Leone Gerochi, Liezel Joy Zulueta-Salazar, and Lady Julie Grace Baronda.
“I have no idea about that alleged lobby. We studied the franchise application for a long time, gin-research gid properly,” said Malabor who chaired the committee on games, amusement and professional sports that recommended the approval.
Councilors Armand Parcon and Jeffrey Ganzon voted against the granting of franchise while Councilor Candice Magdalane Tupas abstained.
Councilor Jay Treñas, who presided the SP session, did not participate in the voting.
Peñaredondo dismissed insinuations that city councilors who voted in favor of the Lapuz cockpit were paid.
“Waay ko sini ‘ya,” he said. “Wala man ko gasiling pero kon baklon mo ko, medyo mahal ko akon ‘ya,” he said in jest.
Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog did not sign the ordinance but the franchise became deemed approved. He did nothing within the 10-day period he was given to either sign it or veto it.
Hervias laughed off the allegation he received lobby money.
“Waay ko na ‘ya gani kabalo,” he said.
In voting in favor of the Lapuz cockpit, Hervias said he was just being consistent.
Rockwell first applied for a franchise in 2015 but the SP rejected it. Hervias recalled voting in favor of the cockpit then.
“No one can change my stand,” he maintained.
In voting in favor of the new cockpit, Malabor cited Presidential Decree No. 440 or the Cockfighting Law as amended by Presidential Decree 1310 providing that only one cockpit shall be allowed in each city or municipality; provided however, that in cities and municipalities with a population of more than 100,000, two cockpits may be established, maintained and operated in the poblacion and one each city or town district.
“As of May 1, 2010, the city had a population of 424,619. It had 180 barangays and divided into seven administrative districts,” said Malabor.
He also cited City Legal Officer Lorna Laurea’s opinion that “the SP is, under Section 458 (3) of the Local Government Code, duly empowered or authorized to grant another franchise should it find the need to do so, not only in the district of Lapuz but also in other districts of the city, considering that the population of the city is more than 500 thousand.”
For his part, Alim said he saw no legal impediment to vote against the franchise ordinance.
“No lobby money. My decision was based on the favorable recommendation of the City Legal Office,” said Alim, a lawyer./PN
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