Hinoba-an Mayor Francisco Bilbao yesterday accused Vice Mayor Mary Jane Cubid and the members of the Sangguniang Bayan of playing politics in their move to delay the payment of the five-hectare property purchased by the municipal government.

Bilbao, in an interview with Capitol reporters yesterday, appealed to his fellow officials to stop politicking and instead focus on the development of the municipality.

The mayor, who came to the Capitol in a wheelchair, said he could not explain why the SB is now questioning the purchase of the P8-million property from Letecia Chua when they were the ones who approved its acquisition for the Socialized Housing Project of the municipality.

We couldn't have purchased it without the approval of the SB, he said.

Chua was reported to be a relative of Bilbao but he denied the claim, although he admitted that she is a close friend of their family.

The municipal government had already paid P6.8 million as of August 2005 out of the P8 million purchase price.

Bilbao denied that there is overpricing because the purchase was also assessed by the appraisal committee of the Provincial Assessor's Office. "It is actually cheap," he said.

He also brushed aside the claim that the land in question is located in Himamaylan, not in Brgy. Pook, Hinobaan.

I can't understand why they are saying that it is located in Himamaylan. The Register of Deeds says that is in Hinobaan, he said.

"Ano pinsar nila sa akon, manginyadi sa kwarta sang banwa. Wala na ya sa akon (What do they think of me, that I will take advantage of the town's financial resources? That's not my intention)," Bilbao said.

On Monday, Bilbao requested Negros Occidental Gov. Joseph Marañon to ask the Provincial Legal Office to come up soon with its legal opinion on the purchase of the property.

The Sangguniang Bayan last month sought the opinion of the PLO on the matter as, they said, they want to safeguard the interest of the local government of Hinobaan.

The SB said that they are praying for legal assistance for the annotation of the purchases made by the municipality on the parcel of land and for any other appropriate legal action that is just and equitable.*NLG

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