Silay market wall painting sparks suit
Cebu Daily News
First Posted 09:01:00 08/23/2008
Bacolod City — Two Silaynons have filed criminal and administrative complaints against Silay City Mayor Jose Montelibano and 13 others for the painting of two public market buildings with the Coca-Cola color and brand name.
Jojo Sumiller and Jose Lindy Chan filed the complaint last week before the Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas.
Aside from Montelibano, the respondents included Silay Vice Mayor Mark Andrew Arthur Golez, councilors Jose Raymundo Locsin, Michael Maravilla, Ramon Jison, Warlito Go and Rosalinda Caja, Association of Barangay Captains representative Joedith Gallego, Sangguniang Kabataan (Youth Council) representative April Grace de los Reyes, market officer in charge Giovani Guzon, General Service officer-in-charge Pepito Hechanova, City Engineer's officer-in charge Sonia Cordero, Commission on Audit State Auditor III Benedicta Pagunsan and Agustin Gatuslao, sales manager of Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines Inc.-Bacolod.
However, Montelibano said on Tuesday he would not comment on the complaint until geting a copy.
The complainants alleged that the mayor, with participation, cooperation or toleration of other respondents, allowed the painting of a dark shade of red, the color of Coca-Cola, and its brand name on several parts of two public market buildings along Burgos Street in Silay City.
More than a hundred of these painted advertisements can be seen on the two buildings, the complainants said.
This act did not have the prior formal approval or consent of the Silay City council, they added.
In permitting Coca-Cola to be advertised through the painting of its brand name and logo, the respondents gave a private firm unwarranted advantage in violation of Section 3 of Republic Act 3019, otherwise known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, the complainants said.
“Silay City used to be the provincial center of arts and culture, and dubbed as the 'Paris of Negros,' but now it is derisively called by many as 'Coca-Cola City' because its two public markets look like two cases of Coca-Cola,” the complainants said. INQUIRER
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