Espinos slam Sison’s for “baseless accusations” 

By December 10, 2018Headlines, News

BUSTED FAKE CIGARETTEFACTORY

FIFTH District Rep. Amado Espino Jr. and his two sons: GovernorAmado Espino III  and Bugallon Mayor Jumel Espino, flatly denied insinuations they were involved in the operation of the fake cigarette factory in Barangay Portic, Bugallon which was raided by combined agents of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) onNovember 28, 2018 and where five Chinese nationals and some 20workers, all from Mindanao, were arrested. 

All decried the insinuations as without factual basis and politically motivated during a press conference they called at the municipal hall of Bugallon on Dec. 5.

Congressman Amado Espino branded the statements  linking them to the fake cigarette factory as “sweeping, baseless accusations.”

He said that while it is true that his family owns some properties, “the property raided, while it is also located in Portic, Bugallon, is different from ours. It belongs to Danilo Calugay, who happens to be the brother of Liseldo “Dong” Calugay, whom I must admit is someone who is very close to me and my family.”

Dong Calugay has vehemently denied in his own press conference in Bugallon on Dec. 1 that he knew and had something todo with the illegal operations inside his own brother’s farm.

Dong presented a contract of lease executed by his brother Danilo,as lessor, with one Lolito M. de los Santos of Valenzuela, Metro Manila, as lessee, over a “20,000 square meter property owned by the lessor for a period of two years beginning May, 5, 2017 and ending  in June 5, 2019 at the rate of P50,000 to be used for a piggery project.” 

Among the terms and conditions in that lease contract executed onSept. 22, 2017 as docketed in the notarial  registry of Atty. Corleto Castro of Bugallon is that the “lessee shall use the leased  property for any legitimate purpose and for a legitimate business or undertaking”.

“It is grossly unfair and malicious for SP Member Raul to announce that I, or any member of my family, is involved in any manner, in that illegal operation,just because we have properties in Portic, and because the owner of the raided property, Danilo Calugay is the brother of  Liseldo “Dong” Calugay , whois very close to us,“  Cong. Espino stressed. 

The Espino family, he said, will carefully study their legal options against SP Member Sison for maligning the family.

He said the Espino family will support any investigation by proper authorities, to ferret out the whole truth and will ask those who are guilty to face the full force of the law and for law and order to continually prevail in the province.

Meanwhile, Mayor Espino said his opponent for congressman in the 2nd District is conveniently using the fake factory issue against him and his family. He said he had just returned to his residence to Barangay Portic after leaving it in 2015.

”Kung yong mismong Kapitan na araw-araw at ilang taon nang nandoonay wala daw alam sa nangyayari doon, ako pa kaya na kababalik lang doon , “ he said.. He was referring to the elder brother of his former opponent in the 2016 mayoralty race, Ricardo Orduna, the incumbent barangay chairman of Portic.

The mayor added he has not issued any permit for any piggery project in Barangay Portic, so he is not aware of the illegal operation in the village.

For his part, Gov. Espino III clarified that he is not a registered voter in Barangay Portic as alleged by their detractor, and hasnot left Bautista town since 2001 where he served as vice mayor,mayor for three terms and barangay captain.

“BM Sison does not know what he is saying. The  fireworks for the coming election have just starred this December,” he said 

On Sison’s allegation that there suddenly was no quorum in the SP when he was ready to deliver his privilege speech about the Portic raid, the governor said, most members of the provincial board were at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center to listen to DILGUndersecretary for Barangay Affairs Martin Dino who was the guest speaker in the Anti-Drug and Peace and Order  Forum. (Leonardo Micua) 

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