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Friday, February 13, 2004
Micame: Junie to benefit from Perdido mess
By Rel P. Micame
PERDIDO LEX MESS. Is Vice Gov. John Gregory Osmeña, official gubernatorial bet for Cebu of La-kas-CMD-Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) merger, involved in Perdido Lex?
During the past few weeks, Osmeña and his rival for the premier Capitol post this May elections, Gwen Garcia, aided by his father, Gov. Pablo Garcia, have been trading charges against each other to the amusement of the third rival for the governorship, former 4th district congressman Celestino “Junie” Martinez Jr. On the issue of taking the drug and lie detector tests which Osmeña wanted done in Manila, the vice governor wanted to drag Junie. But, why drag the former 4th district solon? He is not a party to the Perdido Lex issue.
John-john may not have stolen the P5 million from the Capitol treasury. But the circumstantial evidence point to the vice governor’s personal involvement in the release of the checks amounting to millions to the Pedido Lex Foundation Inc.
NBI REPORT. A report submitted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to the Visayas Ombudsman disclosed the following facts:
l In a sworn statement, Capitol revenue collection clerk Dominic Castroverde released two checks, one for Pl.5 million and another for P600,000 to Milagros Herera, said to be the president of Perdido Lex Foundation Inc. The revenue clerk said Wilfredo “Willy” Mulla, Osmena’s executive assistant, introduced Herera to him. He further stated in his affidavit that “it was precisely because Herera was accompanied by Mulla that he released the checks. He further added that Mulla made follow-up calls at the Provincial Treasurer’s Office inquiring if the checks were ready for release.
l Capitol cash clerk Gerardo Cabigon admitted releasing a check for P2 million on Jan. 15, 2003 and another check for P900,000 on June 6, 2003, to Herera who was also accompanied by Mulla.
GUV’S PROOF. Gov. Garcia submitted to the NBI some documentary evidence which, according to him (Garcia), will prove John-john’s direct involvement in Perdido Lex. In his affidavit, Garcia cited a memorandum of Osmeña to Provincial Accountant Maieto M. Ypil dated April 4, 2003. In the said memorandum, Osmeña allegedly ordered Ypil to dispense with certain government requirements and release in full the P3 million financial assistance to Perdido Lex. In the same memorandum, the vice governor also assured Ypil that Osmeña would take full responsibility for the requirements later.
“Why did the vice governor take such strange and unusual interest in securing for Perdido Lex the release of the subsequent financial assistance of P3 million?” Gov. Garcia pointed out in his four-page affidavit.
Had Garcia and Osme-ña not parted ways because of the forthcoming May polls in which the governor’s daughter, Gwen, and John-john are rivals for the governorship, Cebuanos would not have known the release of the P5 million Capitol funds to a bogus foundation.
I will ask you, my readers. With the foregoing narration of facts supported with circumstantial evidence, do you think Osmeña is involved in Perdido Lex?
BENEFICIARY. No doubt, the beneficiary of this Perdido Lex controversy between two gubernatorial aspirants, Osmeña and Gwen Garcia, is no other than the third rival, Junie Martinez. Junie is amused by looking at his two rivals destroying each other. I’m sure the Perdido Lex controversy will bring additional votes for Junie.
(February 13, 2004 issue)
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