Dagupan kapitans traipse around Asia
JUNKET OR PERSONAL TRAVEL?
FOR the five working days last week, all but one of the 31 barangay kapitans in Dagupan took a leave of absence from their posts to join a five-day Asian Cruise on board a luxury liner as ostensibly as part of their study tour program ‘Lakbay Aral’.
Their leave of absence was approved by Mayor Benjamin Lim, who also went on leave from May 16 to 19 to lead the Asian tour.
Local Government Operations Officer Roderick Daois earlier denied knowing that the barangay chairmen were going abroad, although he confirmed that 30 barangay chairmen informed him of their leaves of absences.
Daois clarified that it is the mayor’s office, not the Department of Interior and Local Government, that approves the leave of absence of kapitans.
Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, who served as acting mayor during Lim’s absence, confirmed to newsmen last May 18 that only Barangay Chairman Rico Mejia of Bonuan Gueset did not join the cruise that was reportedly set to go around Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.
Meanwhile, City Administrator Vladimir Mata belied allegations that Asean trip led by Mayor Lim that city funds were used to defray costs of the group’s foreign travel.
Mata maintained that “not a single centavo from the city coffers was released for the trip.”
The speculations arose because the city’s barangays recently received P250,000 each as financial assistance. P100,000 was to help defray expenses of each barangay for its participation in the recently-held Bangus Festival and the balance to cover expenses for clearing of drainage canals and fumigation for the anti-dengue program.
The Asian Cruise followed a recent trip of the Barangay officials to Cebu, purportedly to attend a national convention.
A text message by an anonymous sender to a morning radio program claimed that P50,000 was paid by each of the barangay chairmen for the foreign travel trip last week.
Acting Mayor Belen Fernandez warned that the monies released to the barangays must be fully accounted for the purposes these were allocated for and she stressed the use of these for foreign travel is not among the authorized activities.
“The ordinance covering the supplemental budget provides that the recipients liquidate the amount given them after their respective projects,” said Fernandez, who is also presiding officer of the SP in her capacity as vice mayor.
She maintained that no fund was allocated by the SP to cover travel expenses of elected officials around Asia.
The four minority members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP), Councilors Brian Lim, Red Erfe-Mejia, Liga ng Barangay Federation President Guillermo Vallejos, and SK president John Chester Gonzales also filed leaves of absences from May 16 to 20 reportedly to join the rest of the city’s barangay chairmen’s pleasure trip. They were absent during the SP’s May 16 session.
Councilor Maybelyn Fernandez was also absent in the May 16 session but she was headed for Europe.
The following barangay chairmen joined the “fly-cruise” tour: Guillermo Vallejos, Poblacion Oeste; Eugenio Balolong, Bacayao Norte; Gregorio Taminaya, Bacayao Sur; Danilo Caras, Barangay I; Roberto Melecio, Barangay II, Raul Sayson, Barangay IV, Marvin Fabia Bolosan; William Datuin, Bonuan Boquig; Evangelita dela Cruz, Calmay; Perfecto Velasquez, Carael; Alex Claveria, Caranglaan; Salvacion Bravo, Herrero-Perez East; Joseph David Ramos, Lasip Chico; Rodolfo Siapno, Lasip Grande; Jaime Santillan, Lomboy; Liberato Solano, Lucao; Rosendo Tamayo, Malued; Sonny Tuates, Mamalingling; Bernard Cabizon, Mangin; Samuel Guadiz, Mayombo; Lilia Yasar, Pantal; Luis Santiago Samson, Pogo Chico; George Galvan, Pogo Grande; Ricardo Dela Cruz Jr., Pugaro; Conrado Muyalde, Salisay; Wilfredo Salayog, Tambac; Joaquin Reyes, Tapuac; Helen Fermill, Tebeng; and Armando Cervantes Sr., Salapingao.
The acting mayor expressed hope that reports of the barangay captains using barangay funds are not true and that they used their personal funds or that somebody bankrolled their expenses for that trip.
The acting mayor declined to comment on whether the trip of the barangay chairmen violated the memorandum of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo enjoining all local government units from holding seminars or similar activities outside their jurisdiction.
The kapitans, the mayor and the rest of the cruise party were due back in Dagupan Sunday, May 22.—LM (With reports from PIA Dagupan)
PPC lambasts ‘Lakbay Aral’ junket
“What are we in power for?”
This rhetorical question normally mouthed by politicians was echoed in disgust by outspoken lawyer Gonzalo Duque, president of the Pangasinan Press Club (PPC), in reference to Asian cruise travel of almost all 31 barangay chairmen of Dagupan, except one, presumably on using public funds.
He said such a trip “was a waste of money as it was nothing but a junket,” since the trip was labeled a “Lakbay Aral” (Study Tour) participated by barangay captains who went on mass leave.
Observers said City Administrator Vlad Mata’s explanation that the barangay chairmen spent personal funds for the overseas travel is hardly credible.
“They said that except for a few, many cannot afford a luxury trip for a few days abroad.” Duque said.
“Sana they held it (Lakbay Aral) somewhere here or in Manila,” said Duque who vowed to initiate a resolution in the PPC condemning the claimed study tour and expressing support for directive of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo to local government officials from holding seminars or similar activities outside their area of jurisdiction.
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