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Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Mayor: Padayon execs won't welcome Calingin
By Stephen Capillas
MAYOR Vicente Emano said while he has no problems about allowing Councilor Alvin Calingin to join the Padayon Pilipino party anew, his party colleagues may not be so forgiving.
"It's okay for me but the problem is what would his former colleagues?" the mayor said during his "Mayor's Move" program over at Sandy 101 FM last Saturday.
Emano said he was not "that surprised" by the councilor's statement that it was unnecessary for him to pay for his fine when he didn't ask for it.
"I even heard the report that he went to Councilor Simeon Licayan and expressed his thanks for having his fine paid and now he came up with this statement that I didn't need to pay for his fine," the mayor said.
Emano also questioned reports on where he got the money to pay for the fines of the councilors and himself, which he estimated to amount to more than P130,000.
"It's up to these people to find out," he quipped.
The mayor was reacting to an earlier statement by Calingin who questioned why Emano had to pay the P20,000 fine imposed on him by Regional Trial Court Judge Ma. Anita Lucagbo.
"I paid for the fine out of respect for the fact that he used to be one of us and helped us to push forward the project. Now that he's moved on, I am not obligated in any way to help him other than what he did for us," Emano said.
Calingin said while he is thankful to Emano for paying the fine it wasn't necessary.
"In fact I even filed a motion for re-consideration on the fine," Calingin said.
When asked whether the payment of fine has any bearing on the motion, he said the mayor paid the fine "without my authority."
Calingin was one of those councilors fined after being cited in Judge Lucagbo's court decision as one of the signatories of the 2005 Build Operate Transfer (BOT) contract for the Cogon market project.
However, the councilor later questioned the project along with opposition Councilor Zaldy Ocon, who questioned among other things the council's alleged rush to have an ordinance on the market project approved.
The councilor said he was not averse to receiving any help from Emano concerning his political plans.
"But helping is one thing and being invited is another," the councilor added, even as he said there are negotiations between him and the opposition groups.
(September 13, 2006 issue)
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