Friday, September 21, 2007 Lapu-Lapu official questions Pelaez’s foundation, motives on the expose
TWO Lapu-Lapu City officials said businessman Efrain Pelaez Jr. has an ax to grind against the administration of Mayor Arturo Radaza because it was during Radaza’s second term that unpaid taxes of Pelaez for his two properties in Barangay Punta Engaño were discovered.
Coralpoint Educational Foundation Inc., of which Pelaez is the founder and president, is also not registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Assistant City Attorney Michael Dignos said.
This proves, he said, that the businessman’s motive for filing a graft complaint against the Radaza administration is personal.
City Attorney Vincent Joseph Lim said that sometime in 2002 they found out that two properties developed in Barangay Punta Engaño were owned by Pelaez and they required him to pay more than P500,000 in taxes.
But Pelaez said he pays taxes.
He said City Hall officials are telling different stories because they do not have the answers to issues he raised on corruption and failure of basic services in the city.
Dignos and Lim were among the 19 officials Pelaez accused before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas of conspiring with Mayor Arturo Radaza in the P23,476,500 anomalous computer deal with Kein Enterprises in February 2005.
Pelaez accused Lim and Dignos of trying to cast doubt on his motive in filing the complaint.
He dared the two to visit a school in Punta Engaño and see for themselves what his foundation has done for the school.
In reaction of the graft complaint, Lim said that during Radaza’s second term, Pelaez applied for a development permit for two properties in Punta Engano, but the requirements he submitted were photocopies and a bank was named as the owner.
He said he asked Pelaez to present proof of ownership for the two properties so he can be issued a development permit.
After the businessman complied, City Hall required Pelaez to pay the two properties’ unpaid taxes amounting to more than P500,000.
“It was a big amount and after that he became silent. But now that the elections are over, he resurfaced with a very noisy mouth,” Lim said.
Another source said because the unpaid taxes were huge Pelaez asked for a compromise with Radaza.
But Pelaez said Lim and Dignos should focus on legitimate issues he raised before the ombudsman’s office rather than trying to cast doubt on his personality as the complainant.
“I always pay my taxes. I am very much willing to open my books. I mean these people are trying to pretend they are very much better than I, but what are the taxes they are paying to the government?” he said in a phone interview.
“I would say now that my every word should be taken with chilly powder not just grain of salt...kay kini makasunog gyud ni sa ilang baba. They have asked for cases in court, I will keep them occupied,” Pelaez said.
Sun.Star Cebu tried to get Mandaue City Schools Superintendent Serena Uy and City procurement officer Maria Guiao, but both were not in their office. They are among the respondents of the graft complaint.
Uy was the school superintendent of Lapu-Lapu and was the one who accomplished the purchase request, while Guiao signed the certificate that the prevailing price of personal computers was P50,000, or half the price that other computer suppliers offered.
In his complaint before the ombudsman, Pelaez said the cost could have been less. He cited findings of the Commission on Audit that the computers delivered were of inferior quality. (AIV)
