Samson: Opposition has ‘magnanakaw’ issues
TO SET RECORD STRAIGHT
THE slogan of the opposition party in Dagupan City which says, “Kung walang sagabal, may magnanakaw”, drew a sharp retort from former Councilor Luis Samson Jr., saying it is they who have records of illegal transactions and questionable use of public funds.
Samson, a veteran politician and currently president of the University of Luzon, cited incidents that proved the past city administration under Brian Lim was enmeshed in several shady transactions that defrauded the city of Dagupan millions of pesos in taxpayers’ money.
Speaking during a press conference of the UnliSerbisyo Team headed by Mayor Belen Fernandez and Vice Mayor Bryan Kua on March 29 at Tim Horton’s, Samson cited the past city administration’s two “ghost” motorboats worth almost P1 million, which the Commission on Audit (COA) flagged.
When asked by COA to account for the missing motorboats, the two department heads, once former and the other incumbent, claimed that somebody faked their signatures. They later filed a case before the Ombudsman against ex-Mayor Lim and other city officials.
Samson also cited the ‘ghost’ scholars of the past Lim administration, the purchase of P16 million worth of CCTV cameras, least 70% of which were found defective.
He added that the Lim administration also purchased outdated and overpriced computer tablets for students undertaking online classes in their homes during the pandemic. The number of delivered computer tablets was also fewer than what was stated in the delivery receipt.
Samson also recalled that there were missing P23-million worth of food assistance funds given to Dagupan during the pandemic that were contracted to a local caterer instead for 18-day food binge but did not benefit Dagupeños.
He also quoted Mayor Fernandez who said that in the last 40 days of the past city administration, it spent P54 million in hauling garbage to a supposed landfill site, but the Bonuan dumpsite was still overflowing by the end of their term in 2022.
“Now, tell me. Who’s the magnanakaw that they are talking about” Samson concluded. (Leonardo Micua)
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