Bacolod Vice Mayor Renecito Novero yesterday expressed his intention to run for Congress but said the official pronouncement has to wait.

He said he believes Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella failed to ventilate and echo the sentiments of the Bacoleños in Congress, citing issues involving the amendment of the Philippine Constitution, the passage of the Expanded Value Added Tax, among others.

Novero said the people have known them both since they were councilors in 1988. He also said he believes the Bacoleños will vote on the basis of one's performance and not on one's closeness to the President.

Novero said he believes Puentevella has many things to answer like the funds given by the city to the Bacolod Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee for the SEAG in 2005, which has not yet been accounted for until now. That has never been completed as a matter of reporting and accounting at the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee, he said. The fertilizer scam has not yet been answered, Novero also said and records of the Bacolod City Agriculturist show that only 1,000 liters of liquefied fertilizer had been delivered by the Lone District of Bacolod.

Novero said 1,000 liters is only about P200,000 but what was supposed to be delivered to Bacolod was P8 million worth of fertilizer. He said he was also informed in Manila that Bacolod was supposed to receive P17 million worth of fertilizer. If what the witness, Jose Barredo Jr., said regarding the fertilizer scam were lies, Novero said he expects Puentevella to file a suit for libel or for false testimony or perjury against him.

"I'm not saying this is a black propaganda but these are things that should be considered by the people and issues which should really be answered," he said.

Novero said he is willing to sit with the congressman to clarify these issues. If Puentevella can clarify them, then he will concede by giving him as a reward a third and last term in Congress, he said. Novero said, "I am not a man in a hurry and I am willing to still sit as vice mayor except that there are so many people who have been disenchanted with the way Bacolod has been represented in Congress and they now want a transformed representation there."

Meanwhile, when asked if he is running in tandem with Mayor Evelio Leonardia Novero said the prospect is that they will be together in one ticket. However, he said he will wait for the official timing.

Puentevella, on the other hand, said what Novero said are only rehashed issues that have been already answered a long time ago. "It's difficult to convince politicians who dream to take my place simply because they refuse to," he said. Puentevella said Novero is old enough to decide for himself whether he will run for Congress or not, and not depend on him or his father.

He said he is not a pastor but he will not cast aspersions against Novero despite everything. "As a Christian, I still consider him a friend and wish him good luck," he added.*CGS

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