BSL, other city brass asked to answer rap

Posted on September 29, 2003 - Filed Under News |

THE Office of the President finally took cognizance of the letter-complaint filed by Citizens Coalition for Reforms, Social Justice and Good Government against Mayor Benjamin Lim and  other officials of the city government.

This was gleaned from an order dated September 12, 2003 directing Lim, City Budget Officer Ildefonso Calimlim and three city councilors to submit   to the Department of Interior  and Local Government within 15 days after the receipt of the same their verified answers to the complaint signed by lawyer Victor Llamas and  Romeo Cabugao.

Llamas is president  and founder of  CCRSJGG  while Cabugao is its secretary-general.

The order was signed by Manuel Gaite, deputy executive secretary for  Legal  Affairs, by the authority of the President.

This is an administrative  complaint (O. P. Case No. 03-I-551)   for swindling and violation of anti-graft and corrupt practices act, particulatrly Sec. 3(e) and 3(g).  The complaint dated June 26, 2003, was addressed to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

A separate  complaint  involving the same subject matter was filed by both Llamas and Cabugao with the Ombudsman, dated June 26, 2003, addressed to Ombudsman  Simeon Marcelo.

Both cases stemmed from the purchase by the city government of 298,932 square meters  of land in barangay Bolo, San Jacinto, Pangasinan from Jose Mariano Cuna of Dagupan City as site for Dagupan’s sanitary landfill, relocation area for squatters and source of potable water for P16,120,000, of which P11,780,441.26 was paid.

Another subject of the complaint was the construction of a temporary public market at the  premises of the MC Adore Internationale  Palace and the purchase of construction materials for the same  without proper legislation and public bidding.

In his order, Gaite directed the respondents to likewise furnish copies of their respective answers to the complainants, and the Office of the President, failure of which shall be considered a waiver of their right to present evidence in their behalf.

Gaite ordered that the complaint and its enclosures be forwarded to the DILG for its proper disposition.

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