Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia yesterday said he has no involvement in the signature campaign initiated during the barangay assemblies Saturday in Bacolod City in order to amend the Constitution.

Leonardia said officially, he has not given orders to anybody in the city government to conduct a people's initiative. He said he was informed about it by people at City Hall while he was in Mexico to attend the World Water Forum.

He also said he has not received any memorandum from the Department of Interior and Local Government on the matter and added that the city has no budget for it.

"I believe all these are a matter of political exercise or an expression of people's choice or decision, as long as they are not doing anything illegal," Leonardia said. "To be fair with everybody, let the people decide, and let us not stop others from exercising their political rights," he said.

Whether it is illegal or not to hold a people's initiative for Cha-Cha in the barangay assembly, only the courts can determine, Leonardia said. The proclamation that the barangays are apolitical is one of the biggest hypocrisies of the system because the truth of the matter is that they are political units, he said.

"I am waiting for the result because, in the end, I will abide by the will of the people, " Leonardia said. He said he favors Cha-Cha but if majority is against it, he will go with them.

Bacolod Interior and Local Government director Ireneo Asuga said the DILG has issued a memorandum circular directing all governors, city and municipal mayors, punong barangays and DILG directors to include in the regular barangay assembly other concerns like La Niña, disaster preparedness and other current issues affecting the country.

Asuga said the purpose of the assembly is to explain to the public these issues so they could have wider information. He said DILG renders technical assistance.

He said Cha-Cha was discussed in the Senate and Congress and Speaker Jose De Venecia said it should be discussed in the barangays for wider information, during his recent visit to Bacolod. He said the Lakas Pinoy, a non-government organization from Manila, came over during the weekend to help clarify the Cha-Cha issue because the group was mandated to assist them. However, Asuga said he directed the group not to force the people to sign if they do not want to amend the Constitution, but only those interested.*CGS

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