Lazatin slams Pamintuan for abuse of authority

ANGELES CITY -- Representative Carmelo Lazatin (first district, Pampanga) said the camp of Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan has been abusing authority by allowing the mayor’s political party, Partido Abe Kapampangan, to use government-owned materials during its gaming events.

In a letter addressed to Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr., Lazatin said that Partido Abe has been holding bingo gaming events in several barangays in the city: Barangay Santo Domingo (March 9), Malabanias (March 14), and Cuayan (March 16), where photos and video footage show that the tents, chairs, and tables used in the events are owned by the City Government.

Footage taken from the bingo event in Barangay Cuayan shows that the tents used in the events bear the logo of the Angeles City Government, while another photo shows the tables and chairs used in the event branded with “GAD” -- the acronym for the City Government’s Gender and Development Office.

The footage also shows the event’s organizers wearing ABE shirts.

“The acts of ABE are flagrant violations and acts inimical to public interests and public service,” Lazatin said.

“Hindi nakapagtataka na baka ang mga papremyo nila ay galing din sa kaban ng siyudad,” added Lazatin.

ABE also reportedly gave away P300 each to the attendees of the bingo event held at the L&S Subdivision Covered Court in Barangay Santo Domingo last March 9.

In his letter, Lazatin asked the Comelec to investigate the reported violations of the party and take appropriate action. A copy of Lazatin’s letter was also forwarded to Comelec Acting Regional Director Rafael Olaño and Angeles City Election Officer lawyer Nomer Lobo.

Earlier, Lazatin also wrote a letter to Department of Education Secretary Armin Luistro about ABE’s use of public school facilities in their political meetings and bingo events.

The Partido Abe Kapampangan, meanwhile, said there is nothing wrong in the use of chairs and tents owned by the City Government for the party’s social events as these were borrowed officially from city hall.

“As far as we know, chairs and tents can be lent by the City Government to any organization that officially requests for them, as long as these are available. We wrote the Office of the Mayor presenting our calendar of social events, including bingo socials, and requested that we be lent chairs, and in some occasions, tents, and they acceded to our request,” said Abe secretary general William Aguilar.

Aguilar said the charges of Lazatin against Mayor Pamintuan in relation to activities of Abe indicate desperation.

“Lazatin is trigger happy and is fond of shooting from the hips on any issue that he thinks he can milk for its propaganda value. He is becoming more and more ridiculous,” he said.

Aguilar also laughed at Lazatin’s charges that Abe is paying off its members.

“Unlike Lazatin who is openly hauling and paying off voters at his home every day, we need not pay our members. They are our members who joined us on the basis of our principles,” he said.