The Bacolod City Legal Office is readying libel charges against a person identified to have been distributing black propaganda materials against three Bacolod City officials during the Holy Week.

Based on a police blotter report dated April 3, Jun Bustamante, a trisikad driver and a member of a militant group, was found distributing the materials on April 3 inside the SM City Mall at about 2 p.m.

The materials that were also distributed at Robinson's Place Bacolod portrayed Mayor Evelio Leonardia, Vice Mayor Renecito Novero and City Legal Officer Allan Zamora in despicable sketches.

Zamora yesterday said the suspect was identified by Rojie Jamelo, a fellow trisikad driver, and that Legal Officer 3 Vicente Petierre III has already taken his statement,

He said he believes that the authors of the black propaganda materials are Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella and mayoralty candidate Luzviminda Valdez. If Bustamante identifies others behind the distribution of the black propaganda materials, they will also be included in the case he is filing, he said.

Puentevella, had denied the allegations, saying that the Mayor's camp is barking at (sic) the wrong tree.

He said "Like all other politicians, Leonardia and Novero have plenty of enemies so we can have a whole spectrum of suspects."

FERTILIZER SCAM

Meanwhile, Zamora said he is now preparing charges against Puentevella in relation to the alleged liquid fertilizer scam. He said he is just waiting for the copy of the Commission on Audit report of their findings on the matter.

Zamora said the COA report will serve as one of the documental evidences he will attach to his affidavit, aside from the Committee Report No. 54 of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.

He said he will also attach the comparative data from the Department of Budget and Management showing that the money released to Puentevella for the liquid fertilizer was P8 million.

Zamora said the COA report showed that there were portions of the liquid fertilizer fund received by Puentevella that he had channeled to the MOP (Monico O. Puentevella) Foundation.

"The Committee Report No. 54 also said that some money from the liquid fertilizer were channeled by our governors, mayors and congressmen to obscure foundations," he said. "Given the findings by the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Blue Ribbon Committee, I would suppose one of the obscure foundations being referred to is the MOP Foundation," he added.

Eric Tenerife, Puentevella's media liaison, said the matter is just Zamora's personal attack against the solon. He said the bidding and cash involved is not being handled by Puentevella but by the Department of Agriculture. He said the solon is just the recipient and he acted in conduit with the DA in identifying and distributing the fertilizer.

Tenerife said this is another political harassment by the Leonardia-Novero camp to distract the attention of Puentevella from his third and last term.*CGS

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