Domantay: My acts were all above board
MALASIQUI–Political gimmicks and plain harassment.
These were the impressions of Mayor Armando Domantay as he defended himself against charges over the alleged unlawful contract signed by the municipal government with the Magic Mall group for the lease of a public land in front of the municipal hall.
“I strongly believe that I acted in accordance with law,” said Domantay, citing the laws and documents covering the lease including transfer of the statues of national and local heroes from the leased plot.
Domantay, along with other municipal officials, are now facing anti-graft charges before a regional trial court. Former Vice Governor Oscar Lambino, who is from this town, recently filed an administrative case filed against the mayor before the provincial board.
Domantay said Lambino is merely “playing politics” as he intends to run for mayor in the 2010 polls against him. But Lambino, said he has not decided on which post, mayor of Malasiqui or vice governor of Pangasinan, to run for.
The mayor maintains that he executed the lease contract with Magic for a more than 1,100 square meter lot owned by the municipal government based on a valid authorization provided by the municipal council through a resolution.
He also pointed out that nine out of the 10 councilors signed the resolution, as one was absent and that seven do not belong to his political party.
Lambino and the private citizen who filed charges against Domantay contend that the municipal resolution was not valid because it was based on an ordinance that was not approved by the provincial board.
“If they are saying that this (ordinance) was not valid, this is a political question because the ordinance was passed and sent to the Provincial Board in July of 2003 but it was returned only in September that year,” the mayor said.
Domantay pointed out that under the Local Government Code, an ordinance not returned by the board to the municipal council within 30 days will be considered valid.
“In other words that ordinance they claim to be invalid is really valid because the same, although they claimed to be defective, actually lapsed into law,” he said.
Domantay was vice mayor at the time and concurrently head of the municipal council but he clarified it was Councilor Corazon Villanueva who presided over the session when the ordinance was approved as he was in Davao.
This proves, he added, that he acted in good faith when he signed the lease agreement with Magic as the current mayor.
On the claim of his detractors that the leased price to Magic of P35 per square meter per year is too low, Domantay said it is actually much higher than the price pegged per square meter in the local tax code.
Further, Domantay said the transfer of the statues of Dr. Jose Rizal, Gat Andres Bonifacio and a local hero, Francisco Joves, had the imprimatur of the municipal council and the approval of the National Historical Institute through a letter signed by NHI Executive Director Ludovico Badoy dated August 7, 2009.
“With this permit or approval given by the National Historical Institute, covered by a resolution of the municipal council, I do believe that I really acted in accordance with law,” Domantay said.
As to the charges that Magic is encroaching on the bank of the Binalbalolong River, Domantay said what the company is building in that portion is a rip-rapping structure to strengthen the river bank against erosion,
On the anti-graft case filed against him by a non-government organization, Domantay said he has yet to receive a copy of this and so considers it as hearsay.
Domantay said he expects more cases to be filed against him but said he is ready to answer all these, as he believes his actions were all above board. —LM
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