“I deny the allegation”.

This was the opening statement of City Market Administrator Aguedo Sta. Maria before the Blue Ribbon Committee of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) that is investigating in aid of legislation an open-letter complaint of Punch Editor Publisher Ermin Garcia Jr. in his column in September last year.

“I was touched and aware of the allegations of Mr. Ermin Garcia that I failed to collect and remit actual taxes,” Sta. Maria said, but opinted out in his defense that he only took charge of the Office of the City Market Division in September 2012.

He told the committee headed by Councilor Jose Netu Tamayo that from September to December 2012, he collected a total of about P16 million or an average of P4 million per month as compared to the collection from January to August  2012 at P29 million or an average of P3.7 million.

Sta. Maria said these collections were an average amount which only looked meager when put in comparison to the staggering increase in collection under the new administration of Mayor Belen Fernandez.

“Today, collections of  market revenues, particularly cash tickets and entrance fee at Magsaysay Fish Center is by far mind-boggling, And believe me, it went up by 559 per cent during the first week of implementation of the new market collection scheme initiated by Mayor Belen Fernandez,” Sta. Maria said.

He called Fernandez a “fascinating official working 24/7”.

He said the new market collection scheme implemented by Fernandez was among the reason for the increase of collection in the city market, particularly on cash tickets.

Under the new mayor, personnel of the market office now work 24/7, unlike in the past when they called it a day by 5:00 p.m.

Sta. Maria also credited the increase of collection to the influx of bangus and tilapia from western Pangasinan , particularly in the towns of Sual, Anda, Bolinao and Binmaley whose shippers now pay an entrance fee everytime they bring their products to the Magsaysay Fish Market.

Sta. Maria said it was only under Fernandez that the Market Code of Dagupan was implemented in full.

But he clarified that the  bulk of the collections came from market collectors who, together with market inspectors,  are fanned out to all areas in the public market 24/7.

With this achievement,  Sta. Maria said,  “I am proud to say I am innocent of Mr. Garcia’s accusation.”

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