“Boxing” at Bacolod City Council session

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — A councilor of Bacolod City was assaulted by his fellow councilor during the regular session of the City Council on Wednesday, while deliberating the sanitary landfill issue.

Councilor Dindo Ramos sustained a bruise on his left cheek after being hit by Councilor Claudio Puentevella over an argument on the proposed contract of agreement between the city government and IPM-CDC for the construction of cell number 2 in the sanitary landfill at Barangay Felisa in Bacolod City.

Both Puentevella and Ramos were pacified by their colleagues, after the “boxing.”

Puentevella, son of former Bacolod mayor Monico Puentevella, was excluded from further attending the session, based on the resolution approved by majority of the City Council members, as an offshoot of the incident.

But Puentevella already left when the City Council resumed its regular session. He could not be reached for comment, as of press time.

Not expecting that Puentevella will punch him during an argument regarding the contract for the sanitary landfill, Ramos said he will be filing criminal and administrative charges against Puentevella.

Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran yesterday apologized to the public for what happened at the City Council, stressing that he did not expect it to happen.

Familiaran said he will request for the return of police personnel assigned at the City Council to prevent the occurrence of such incident again. At the same time, he called on members of the City Council to control their temper during the session.

Mayor Evelio Leonardia said this is the first time he heard this kind of incident.

“When you are in the City Council or the City Hall, we reason with our head and not with our muscles.”

The incident has not tarnished the image of the Council but of the persons involved. This is a self-inflicted political injury, Leonardia added. (FREEMAN)