Another case for the Ombudsman

By Ermin Garcia Jr.

HERE we go again in Dagupan City. We are seeing another potential corruption case for the new Ombudsman to investigate. This time, a bigger bunch will likely be caught in the web of corruption, namely City Mayor Benjie Lim, with Councilors Brian Lim, Red Erfe-Mejia, ABC president Guillermo Vallejos, SK president John Chester Gonzales and 30 barangay kapitans in tow.

I would have thought that the city’s adventurous mayor would already begin to slow down with the way his office is expending the city’s funds.  After all, the city council discovered not only the purchases of overpriced commodities for the city’s feeding program for malnourished children but the illegal disbursement of calamity funds to favored kapitans without the benefit of a formal declaration of a state of calamity.

Now comes the holiday group tour of 30 kapitans to cities, not around the country, but to some key cities in Asia. Frankly, I would not have given the trip any serious thought if Mr. Lim had announced early on that he would personally host the kapitans to an Asian cruise at no expense to the city. But he didn’t…and to his credit he was honest enough not to claim otherwise.

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In my May 1 column item (Power-mad Kapitans), I wrote about a tip from my reliable mole in city hall that the city’s kapitans were being enticed to travel overseas with Mr. Lim. Actually such travel invitations and arrangements are normal schemes resorted to by politicians who seek to cement loyalties among their subjects, which was why my first reaction to my mole’s report was: “So what?” But when he began to detail the plot to defraud the city, I thought it was serious enough to be written about in this corner. The plot was to use a portion of the P250,000 allocated to their respective barangays by the city council (for various legitimate purposes), to cover their fares, tours and accommodations. I then hoped against hope that by writing about it, city hall and the kapitans would stop in their tracks knowing the plot has been discovered. How wrong I was.

They flew and sailed at the city’s expense, that’s for certain. The clues and evidence are everywhere.

What gave away the sinister plotting on the scandalous trip for the kapitans (with the minority councilors in tow)?

Let me count the ways:

1. Anyone who thinks of spending his own money for a fly-cruise tour, a unique travel experience even for the regular jetsetter, would definitely do it first with his family. The only reason anyone would agree to spend on such a tour with others without risking a cold war at home is to swear that someone is picking up the tab. In this case, it’d be safe assume it’s the taxpayer.

2. Would a barangay kapitan who earns P15,000 monthly salary dare to spend P35,000 in one blow just to be with his peers for days? Perish the thought. A lifestyle check on most of the kapitans in the city will reveal that more than half would not dare splurge on a 5-day spree at the drop of a hat. But there’s a whole bunch in that group holiday! Did everyone win the lotto?

3. Here is this report that the appropriated P7.7 million for the barangays is actually in the hands of the Liga ng mga Barangay headed by Mr. Vallejos, a close political ally of Mr. Lim. This arrangement conveniently facilitates the release of a lump sum to anyone without any of the barangay chairmen being held accountable. Aha…but that makes Mr. Vallejos accountable to the city. So, it’s the Liga, courtesy of the taxpayer?

So when City Admin Vlad Mata insisted that not a single centavo of city funds was used to pay for the group holiday, I was certain a lot told him off with: “Tell that to the marines!” He wouldn’t be believed even if he dons his marine uniform.

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A closer look at the alibis and excuses of the city hall for the group holiday points to one conclusion – the city’s gallivanting officials socked it good to the Dagupenos.

1. If it was a personal travel experience that necessitated personal funds, why did city hall have to describe it as a Lakbay Aral activity? City hall forgot that Lakbay Aral only refers to local travels and meetings.

2. Assuming it was, indeed, a legitimate Lakbay Aral activity nonetheless, , did the group have a formal meeting with their counterparts in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand? Perhaps they can show pictures of meetings in those cities? It’d even be interesting to read what they’d write if each one was asked to give detailed accounts of their meetings during their Lakbay Aral activities.  No cheating, please!

3. Would the kapitans agree to spend their own money just to meet with their counterparts in the Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand? Perhaps so if their counterparts were young and would show up in bikinis and monokinis.

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But let’s give the city hall and the kapitans the benefit of the doubt by concluding that the city, indeed, did not spend for them, the mayor and the councilors, but that someone actually footed the bill. The pertinent question is: Who and why would someone foot the bill unless he/she had gained from a big huge business deal. Do I smell a stinking deal in the city hall that promised a huge kickback from another overpricing scheme? Let’s wait for city hall to identify the generous host.

But there is a problem. If city hall chooses to use this cover instead after all that had been said, this alibi would make a big liar out of everyone in the city hall.  They all said the kapitans and the rest of the entourage spent their own personal funds!

So, here’s a brotherly advice to the hoodwinked barangay residents who lost a minimum of P35,000 worth of services intended for them. I suggest you demand not only for a full accounting of the P250,000 delivered to your barangay chiefs by the city council, but ask how the barangay’s internal allotment fund has been managed so far. You’ll be surprised to learn why others would kill today to remain a kapitan throughout his/her life.

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DENR ON THE TAKE? A group of environmentalists wrote us asking and wondering how the town executives of Bugallon are getting away with the twin murders of their environment.

The town is constructing an open dumpsite in violation of RA9003. And if that is not bad enough, the dumpsite is being constructed on a public forestland.

This can only happen if accountable officials of the DENR are on the take. In this case, Provincial Environment Officer Ledwina Co and Regional Director Samuel Peñafiel have a lot of explaining to do.

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MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING?  Where of where is BM Alfie Bince, the outspoken elder of the provincial board, he would not hesitate to call a spade a spade as in the case of the proliferation of the jai-alai off fronton betting stations?

After the ballyhooed word war between him and Guv Spines, he has vanished literally from the political horizon. He has not made good on his promised appearance to deliver a privilege speech to prove that he is not the “irresponsible” public official that Guv Spines painted him to be.

Wha’ happened Mr. Bince? Ayos na ba? Ok na jai-alai bigla?

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THE DAY HE DIED. I just turned 18 when I saw my father bleed to death on the floor of the emergency room of the then Pangasinan Provincial Hospital. His last words were not about his unfinished mission in spite of being felled by 3 bullets prompted by his work as a journalist.  There were no brave words from the man who was hailed a martyr and a hero.

His last words to the people around us were: “My family…please tell Don Rafael to look after my family….”

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