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Thursday, November 17, 2005
Espinoza: Accusation against Mangaoang
By Elias L. Espinoza
THE Metro Cebu Water District (MCWD) management only has itself to blame for the loss of several of its water meters to thieves.
Many homeowners have objected to the setup wherein MCWD installs water meters in one place in the main road. The water firm would not have lost millions of pesos had it continued to place water meters near the residence sof consumers.
I was told that MCWD came up with the new setup for the convenience of meter readers and to protect them from the dogs of homeowners. The reason is flimsy. With the setup, consumers can no longer secure the water meters from vandals or thieves.
To prevent further loss of its water meters, MCWD should put them back near the houses of consumers. I’m sure the water consumers will welcome it.
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The graft case filed recently against District Customs Collector Lourdes Mangaoang with the Office of the President is revealing because it pertains to her lifestyle. Mangaoang can tell her accusers “S lang sila” but the fact remains that she has been accused of living beyond the salary she is supposed to get at the Bureau of Customs.
As a lawyer, she can argue that her accusers have the burden of proving their allegations. But that may not be true in the eyes of the public.
Cebuanos first came to know about one of the expensive vehicles mentioned in the complaint against her—an Isuzu Trooper--when it figured in an accident while being driven by members of the Presidential Security Group.
Mangaoang now claims her relatives own some of these vehicles. But wouldn’t graft investigators be surprised if they see these vehicles in one garage?
So Mangaoang would not cry foul for being singled out, the Citizen’s Action for the Restoration of Ethics in Governance and Social Transformation should also go after other civil servants with questionable lifestyles. I know many of them.
Meanwhile, Mangaoang did make good her threat to sue the Mandaue City policemen that apprehended a container van containing left-hand drive vehicles. The policemen filed recently their counter-affidavits to refute the charges before the Ombudsman for the Military.
Mangaoang did not include in the case Regional Trial Court Judge Ulrich Cañete, who issued the search warrant that allowed the policemen to open the container van after the consignee failed to claim the cargo. This, although if she earlier threatened to sue him.
One of the police officers included in the case told me that he and the others would not let this issue go without fighting back. One possibility is to file charges against Mangaoang for allowing the entry of the said left-hand drive motor vehicles even if the law prohibits this.
As they say, one who lives in a house made of glass should not throw stones at other people’s houses.
(November 17, 2005 issue)
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