Tuesday, October 23, 2007 Local gov’t official denies hand in bribery
LOCAL Government Undersecretary Auster Panadero said he does not know about the reported October 11 bribery incident at Malacañang, saying he went to the Palace on that day only to attend the Cabinet meeting as well as the oath-taking rites for the new set of officers of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (Ulap).
Reacting to the Monday morning disclosure by Bulacan Governor Jonjon Mendoza that Panadero was among those present when the incident allegedly took place two Thursdays ago, the DILG undersecretary said the only thing he had discussed with Mendoza at the Palace was the governor’s longstanding clamor for the relief of Senior Superintendent Asher Dolina as police commander in his province.
At the same time, Panadero questioned Mendoza’s motive for painting a not-too-accurate picture of the incident in not identifying Ray Roquero, the executive director of Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD), as the other person who was present during the incident and who had in fact, handed him a paper bag.
“I’m quite surprised why ill motives are being attached to what was just a chance encounter with the governor,” Panadero said. “In fact, I’m more surprised why Governor Mendoza had chosen to identify me and not Roquero who was the one I saw handing the governor the paper bag,” he said.
“I don’t think he can say that he does not know Roquero when the Lakas official was the one who introduced the governor to me,” Panadero added.
According to him, the Bulacan governor sought Dolina’s replacement almost two months ago, but neither the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) nor the Philippine National Police (PNP) leadership could act on his clamor because Mendoza and certain local officials of Bulacan had taken legal action against Dolina before a regional trial court in the province.
Panadero, who is DILG undersecretary for local governments, said although he had met the governor before, he was again introduced to him after that Ulap event at Malacañang’s Heroes Hall by Roquero, the former undersecretary at the Office of Political Coalition Affairs who is now executive director of the Lakas-CMD.
He said after the affair that Thursday morning, he had strayed into one room at the hall looking for former Agusan del Sur governor Eddie Plaza, who is now assisting Ulap with its local government concerns.
Not seeing Plaza there, Panadero said he was about to leave the room when he saw Roquero there and moved to introduce him to a person who turned out to be Governor Mendoza.
“Ray (Roquero) motioned to introduce me to Gov. Mendoza and then I saw him giving a paper bag to the governor, although I could not ascertain what its contents were,” Panadero said. “The governor then discussed with me his complaint against Dolina,” he said.
Panadero said it was at that instance when Plaza came in and we discussed certain matters, and he had no inkling what Ray and the governor talked about after his brief talk with him.
“During my brief talk with the governor, I told him that police matters were not under my jurisdiction but had assured him I would bring up his concern to Secretary (Ronaldo) Puno,” Panadero said.
“I was then too preoccupied having one telephone conversation after another that I had no inkling what Ray and the governor talked about,” he said. “In fact I did not even notice if there was indeed a so-called lady in white who had approached them then as now claimed by Governor Mendoza.” (VR/Sunnex)
