Monday, December 31, 2007 Duterte to take leave for PTA park audit
DAVAO City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is taking a leave on the first week of January 2008 to allow the Commission on Audit a free hand in auditing the P72-million People's Park (formerly the PTA Grounds), which earned national broadsheet space after it was pointed to as one of the issues lambasted by broadcaster Fernando "Batman" Lintuan before he was killed.
In his television program "Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa" Sunday, Duterte said his leave will be indefinite and that he will only come back once the COA investigation is completed.
The mayor said, however, that he firmly believes that the multi-million park that Lintuan branded as "Crocodile Park" is graft-free and that no overpricing was made.
Duterte said that if proven that there was indeed an overpricing of even 10 pesos in the said park then he will immediately tender his resignation.
Duterte admitted having committed sins in his lifetime but said that stealing is not one of them.
"Daghan kong sala sa kalibutan pero ang pagpangawat dili nako istilo (I have committed a lot of sins in this world but stealing is not my style)," Duterte said.
The investigation on People's Park was requested by Duterte after it was pointed out that Lintuan, who was slain on December 24, was a staunch critic of the People's Park project.
Duterte offered a P500,000 reward for any information that may lead to the arrest of Lintuan's assassins and the mastermind.
Last Friday, police arrested 31-year-old Oliver Antoc at Laverna Hills, Buhangin. Recovered from Antoc were a caliber .45 pistol and a sachet of shabu.
During a presentation at the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Saturday afternoon, Antoc was positively identified by two of the three witnesses who saw one of the two men who ambushed Lintuan.
Duterte said he is distancing himself from the police investigation because he does not want to influence its outcome. (BOT)
