|
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Council probes City Engineer’s anomaly claim
THE City Council granted the request of City Engineer’s Office employee Ricardo Gumabong to probe the “gross anomaly and irregularities and violation of Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act against the employees of the Iloilo City Engineer’s Office (CEO).”
An ad hoc committee was then formed by eight councilors to investigate the allegations of Gumabong.
The members are City Councilors Eduardo Peńaredondo, Armand Parcon, Erwin Plagata, Erlinda Liberiaga, Jed Patrick Mabilog,Ely Estante and Zulueta. Zulueta leads the committee.
The probe will start in June 22.
Gumabong, who has been investigated by the City Legal Office (CLO) of the same allegations he raised against his co-employees and bosses in the CEO, written the SP in June 8.
In the same letter affixed was his affidavit alleging his co-employees of fixing permits for applicants and his top officials of getting big amount from extortion ventures of his co-employees.
Other than the same, he also alleged the corruption of CEO construction supplies like sand and gravel, asphalt and cement.
Zulueta attested with the irregularities in the CEO after she revealed the CEO tried to swindle money from the administration of Forest Lake here. The memorial company which has secured permits from the CEO in 1999 was sent of a notice of illegal construction by the CEO March this year.
The CEO she said has inquired if the mausoleums have building permits.
“Never was there an occupancy permit for a dead person!” Zulueta lambasted.
Zulueta said that the administration of the same has had acquired a building and occupancy permit six years before and there was no point in giving such notice unless the CEO wanted to harass the admin of the Forest Lake just to get something.
She added that Eddie Chu, CEO signatory in the 1999 building permit was the same signatory in the notice of illegal construction the CEO issued to the Forest Lake administration.
“That is pure harassment!”
Zulueta also showed her copy of the same documents shared by the Forest Lake management.
City Councilor Perla Zulueta said that she has had a talk with the Mayor and the latter said yes to investigating on the allegations Gumabong hurled versus CEO employees and top officials.
“We would investigate only in aid of legislation and not prosecutorial,” she convinced the body.
She added that there were already partial investigations that she has done regarding the allegations and or which coincides with the same allegations which the SP already has been shared with.
The committee will initially invite CEO Chief Negro. Marito Amatorio and the employees alleged to be engaged in anomalies.
Zulueta said that first to be discussed will be the steps in securing permits from the CEO to also give exact information to the public and to avoid further irregularities in the issuances of permits.
She said that the same investigation will only take one month and the committee then can make its recommendations. (LABB)
(June 15, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
|
