BACOLOD City Treasurer's Office (CTO) head Giovanni Balalilhe said Friday, September 22, that most of the delinquent Manokan Country tenants failed to settle their accumulated monthly dues and penalties.
Balalilhe said of the 18 tenants who have big arrears, only one settled with their office.
"They were given 20 days, which ended yesterday, to settle their accounts, but they failed to pay," he said.
On August 18, the CTO served the second and final notices to the 18 tenants who have arrears from P300,000 to P500,000.
Of the 26 stall owners, only eight have updated their accounts.
Balalilhe said the names of the 17 tenants will be forwarded to the City Administrator's Office for an appropriate action.
He said five tenants had earlier signified their intention to settle their accounts, but they failed to return.
The Commission on Audit (COA) and the CTO reported that the accounts of the delinquent Manokan Country tenants have reached P6.8 million.
David Montoya, president of Manokan Country Vendor's Association, had earlier said they are requesting for the condonation of their penalties and surcharges so that they can pay and the city could impose strict collection of their rentals this year.
He said they are paying P2,050 in monthly rental to the City Government and most of them accrued big arrears because in previous years the City Government was not strict in its rental collection.
Balalilhe said they are not in authority to approve the condonation request because they are also required by the COA to collect their rentals and penalties.
He said the tenants can pay at least 30 percent of their accounts, but they failed to settle.
Montoya said on September 18, they sent a letter to Councilor Bartolome Orola asking to reconsider their request to separate their arrears from their present account.
He said they are still waiting for the reply of Orola and they are hopeful that the city will consider their appeal.
