NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – Bacolod City Representative Albee Benitez walked straight to the table where his political ally, Councilor Homer Bais, was seated at a dinner party. Moments later, a dispute over the city government’s debts erupted into a shouting match, with both men taking turns in slamming the table as officials and guests looked on.
The confrontation threatened to turn physical, prompting Bacolod Councilor Caesar Distrito to intervene. He wrapped his arms around Bais and tried to calm him down.
The commotion eventually subsided, and the two men left the dining area.
The incident unfolded on Friday, October 16, at a MassKara Festival dinner party in the lobby of Bacolod’s New Government Center, during the city’s Electric MassKara parade.
At the center of the confrontation was the city’s P6.1 billion in loans incurred under the past two administrations, including Benitez’s tenure as mayor from 2022 to 2025.
Bais said Benitez confronted him over a manifestation he made during a regular City Council session on Wednesday, October 14, calling for an accounting of the city’s loans.
As Bais tried to explain his position, Benitez slammed the table, he said.
“Albee slammed the table first. I just responded [by doing] the same thing,” Bais told Rappler in an interview on Saturday, October 17.
“Ti, ano kung Benitez ka? (So, what if you are a Benitez?)” Bais shouted.
The retort became a talking point across Bacolod and on social media, where commenters praised the councilor for standing his ground against Benitez, a billionaire politician with considerable influence in the city.
Bais said he was stunned by the confrontation, particularly because it happened in front of fellow officials and guests. He said he had not expected Benitez to confront him that way in public.
The two men are political allies, but the scene they made underscored tensions over the city’s debt and the demand for accountability in the use of public funds.
“May dignidad pa man ko nga dapat tipigan (I still have my dignity to protect),” said Bais, a former anchorman of Bombo Radyo-Bacolod. “I will not and will never allow him to humiliate me in public because I was raised to always stand or fight for what is right.”
Benitez has yet to comment despite requests for comment via SMS and Viber.
Loan scrutiny
Bais said the incident stemmed from a manifestation he made during a City Council session on a proposed resolution by Councilor Em Ang seeking status reports on the unfinished Bacolod MassKara Coliseum and museum-auditorium in barangays Tangub and Alijis.
Ang sought updates on construction, the causes of delays and completion timelines for the projects, which began under former mayor Evelio “Bing” Leonardia and were funded partly by the city’s P1.7 billion in loans.
In the interest of fairness and transparency, Bais said he asked, “Why not include all the projects also funded by other loans of the city?” That proposal would extend scrutiny to projects financed by loans obtained under the Benitez administration.
Councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr., who supported Bais’ manifestation, said the proposal was not ill-intentioned and aligned with Ang’s resolution, which focused on fairness, transparency, financial soundness and accountability.
In July, Gamboa proposed a resolution asking the Commission on Audit (COA) to conduct a comprehensive audit of city projects funded by loans obtained under the Leonardia and Benitez administrations.
The city government secured P1.7 billion in loans under Leonardia, while Benitez obtained P4.4 billion in loans from the Development Bank of the Philippines in 2023, Gamboa said.
The following projects were funded by loans obtained under Leonardia:
- Construction of the P800-million, 12,000-seat Bacolod MassKara Coliseum and museum-auditorium (ongoing).
- Development of the P350-million Progreso Village relocation site (completed)
- Site development, construction of a new activity center and facility upgrades at Bacolod City College (completed)
- Construction of P200 million worth of roads and bridges (completed)
A document from the DBP Bacolod branch listed the following projects under the Benitez administration’s P4.4 billion in loans:
- Acquisition of land for various development projects, P2 billion
- Construction of a legislative building, P515 million
- Construction of mini-hospitals in five barangays, P135 million
- Rehabilitation and improvement of the old city hall, P233 million
- Rehabilitation and improvement of public markets, P525 million
- Improvement and construction of various roads, P300 million
- Improvement and construction of various drainage systems, P320 million
- Asphalt overlay of various roads, P50 million
- Construction of a Bacolod warehouse, P67.9 million
- Construction of City Engineering Department motor pool, P30.8 million
- Improvement of the tree park in Barangay Alangilan, P47 million
- Construction of a pedestrian mall, P50 million
- Construction of a city health complex, P220 million
- Construction of a recovery and recycling complex and eco-park, P103 million
- Construction of a central archives facility, P184 million
- Installation of underground cabling, P300 million
- Construction and installation of solar power generation systems in various barangays and at the Bacolod City Government Center, P100 million
- Construction of traffic signalization systems, P25 million
Gamboa said the city government set aside P560 million in next year’s budget for loan payments, covering both principal and interest.
“It means the city will be paying P46 million per month just for loans,” Gamboa said. “So, it is but natural that we will ask COA’s help to trace all the listed projects funded by our loans.” – Rappler.com
