THE political fight between House Speaker Prospero Nograles and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte heats up as the May 2010 election draws near with two officials accusing each other of multi-million peso anomalies.

In the City Government sponsored television program “Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa” (From the Masses, For the Masses) aired over ABS-CBN Davao every Sunday, Duterte criticized the Nograles for drumming up a mock election conducted at UP Mindanao showing that the House Speaker got 73 percent votes defeating Duterte’s daughter, Vice Mayor Sara.

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Duterte’s daughter and Nograles are fighting for the mayoralty seat.

Duterte accused Nograles of lying through his teeth just to fool the people that he is gaining headway against the Dutertes.
 
"If it is true that you won in the UP Mindanao mock election, I will make you win in the real election. UP (University of the Philippines) students will never vote for you because they are nationalists while you are a mercenary. What you conducted at UP Mindanao was originally for voters’ education on the automated election but you brought with you your scholars and made them vote for you," Duterte said in his television program.
 
It was learned that only 46 students cast their votes in the said mock polls out of the more than 1,500 students of UP Mindanao. Duterte said 46 votes out of the 1,500 students do not represent the true sentiment of the students.

UP-Mindanao University Student Council (USC) vice chair Sonny Paul Cirunay also disclaimed the results of the mock polls released by the Team Nograles, telling Sun.Star in a phone call last week that it was gathered from only 46 Oplan Kaalam scholars of the Team Nograles who were not informed that they were participating in a mock poll.

In a text message Sunday, Nograles, however, said the “mock election was conducted using the new template of the official ballots as per Commission on Elections”.

“In other words, this would be the actual look of the ballot on election day, as it is now being printed by Comelec. Those who participated were a mix of scholars and non-scholars who shaded according to their preference. Results were tabulated, and that was what came out,” Nograles said.

The activity initiated by the Team Nograles was supposed to involve the 150 Oplan Kaalam scholars of the Speaker but only 46 attended, Cirunay said, most of whom were in first year and thus not eligible to vote.

Duterte said Nograles also bragged to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo regarding the result of the UP Mindanao mock polls. The mayor said the Speaker ought to be ashamed of this as he is lying to the President.

“You the President will be fooled by your Speaker? Such a shameless man, he did not even informed the President that the mock polls was a sham,” Duterte said.

Making intrigues

The city mayor said Nograles have also been making intrigues of him to the President regarding his role in the release of rebel leader Leoncio Pitao alias Commander Parago several years back.

Duterte said he did not post bail in behalf of Parago but rather the rebel leader was released by the government peace panel as a sign of goodwill.
 
"Whoever are the retired generals who keep on feeding you with wrong information, you better kill them as they are of no good to you," Duterte said.
 
Hitting the son as well
 
Mayor Duterte also criticized Nograles’ chief of staff and son, Karlo, for using the seal of Congress and plate number 4 to his personal advantage. He reminded the young Nograles that he is not an elected official and his use of government properties is illegal.
 
"Listen son and listen well. You do not have the authority. The so-called authority you are using now came from your father and not from the people. It’s too early for you to be obsessed with power. You are just a chief of staff of the clerks in your father’s office. You wait for your turn to become a congressman, if ever you will become one considering the formidable opponent you have," Duterte said.
 
Garbage bin anomaly?

The Nograles camp on the other hand accused Duterte of a P200-million anomaly on the purchase of German-made garbage bins for the city.
 
"Duterte, who wants to swap positions with his daughter Sara, should also explain why P200 million worth of garbage bins which can be bought from a supermarket for P2,199 a piece was purchased by City Hall for P6, 500 a piece," Nograles said.
 
Nograles raised the issue as he noted that even the Commission on Audit (COA) cited in its 2007 Audit Report the city government's “leniency in the implementation of waste segregation at source and at collection points, the excessive deployment of some garbage bins in some collection points, the use of garbage bins, which weight is beyond the capacity of human strength, and the breakdown of compactors, all attributed to the attainment of only sixty six percent (66%) collection rate of solid waste far below the target efficiency of eighty to ninety percent if not 100% as envisioned for a clean and healthy environment.”

"In short, COA is saying that the Davao City government's waste disposal program stinks. But going through the details of the COA Audit Report, the stench of anomaly stinks even more," Nograles said.
 
Reviewing the COA Audit Report, Nograles said he was surprised to see that the City Government bough a total of 30,136 garbage bins for a total cost of “around P300M” or an average of P6,500 each.
 
Nograles said the small garbage bin, acquired by City Hall for at least P6,500 each, could be bought at SM City Davao’s Ace Hardware at only P2,199. At BABJ Metal Supply in R. Magsaysay Avenue, the small garbage bin is priced at P4,375.
 
On the other hand, Nograles said the big garbage bin, purchased by City Hall for around P11,000 each, could be bought at Davao Diamond Hardware for only P5,150 per unit. At BABJ Metal Supply, the same unit could be bought at P5,750 as against City Hall’s price of P11,000.
 
Nograles said City Hall's garbage bin procurement reeks with anomaly even more as COA cited in its report that Davao City's tax payers paid a whooping P33,705,806.40 just for the opening of a letter credit (LC) for the importation of garbage bins.
 
“Why on earth do we have to even think about importing trash bins when they are readily available locally at a much cheaper price? That's trash if you ask me,” Nograles said.
 
In his reply, Duterte however said that COA has already cleared the project as having complied with the all the requirements under the law. He said the garbage bins are imported from Germany and comes with an 8-year warranty thus the city government has saved money in the long run compared to buying locally-made garbage bins that has no warranty.
 
Duterte said it is not only the City Government of Davao that buys the same garbage bins from the Schiffer International. The local governments of Taguig, Mandaue, Puerto Princesa, Olongapo, Quezon City and Cebu City as well as major companies and governments in Asia, America and Australia have also bought same garbage bins the City of Davao bought.
 
“The garbage project passed thru bidding. These are custom-made. If you would put Nograles inside the bin and have it roll down the hill, Nograles could have dissolved but the garbage bins could have withstood the pressure,” Duterte said. (Ben O. Tesiorna)