Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia

The City Legal Office of Bacolod City is set to look into the implementation of the alleged fertilizer fund scam in the city to ensure that everything was transparent in the distribution of fertilizers last 2004.

Mayor Evelio Leonardia said the city government wants to probe the matter to find out where the fertilizer fund went and how it was spent.

Records from the Department of Agriculture (DA) regional office show that only 1,164 one-liter bottles of liquid fertilizer were distributed in 2004 to some recipients in the city whose names appeared to be either simulated or falsified.

"We'll take a good look at that because we want to see to it that everything will be transparent," Leonardia said.

Mayor Leonardia cited as examples Barangay Captain Margarita Descalsota of Barangay 28 and Sangguniang Kabataan Chairman Patrick Halili of Barangay 26, whose names appeared in the liquidation report submitted to the DA regional office. Descalsota and Halili have both denied signing the document or having received any liquid fertilizer from the Office of the Bacolod representative to the lower chamber of Congress.

The local chief executive explained the barangay of Descalsota is cemented so they have no need of fertilizer.

He added that he received information that what was distributed was foliar fertilizer which is used for flowers.

He also said the the Senate report signed by Senators Joker Arroyo and Ramon Magsaysay involving the report of runner Jose Barredo Jr., stated that in Bacolod, the solon asked to have only 25 percent fertilizer and wanted the 75 percent in cash.

City Legal Officer Atty. Allan Zamora has filed a complaint against Rep. Monico Puentevella before the Office of the Ombudsman questioning the matter and the case has been forwarded by the Ombudsman to the Commission on Audit in Manila which is also conducting its own investigation.

Leonardia said he hopes Puentevella would tell the truth.

The solon could not be reached for comment.