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Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Oro mayor hits critics of Sona graft report
By Lizanilla J. Amarga
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY -- Mayor Vicente Emano recently slammed assailants who questioned his report to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo that said there is a 65 to 38 percent slide in corruption rate in Cagayan de Oro City.
Emano said there are some personalities who are using his name and authority to con contractors and suppliers to shell out money allegedly under his orders.
During his Mayor's Move radio program, Emano said the criticisms hurled against him on this slide in the corruption rate in the locality is uncalled for.
He said the question is that whether he has accepted any bribe offer or not from contractors and suppliers.
The mayor issued a challenge saying that anyone who believes that he has committed any act of corruption should immediately call the station and prove it.
"I am willing to step down," he said.
Emano nevertheless revealed that he received reports that there are some unscrupulous individuals who are making a lot of profit by using his name and authority.
He said these persons visit some contractors and suppliers who have transactions with City Hall to ask for money or any favors allegedly under his orders.
"There are those who are taking advantage of my name and authority and conning suppliers and contractors," Emano said.
But local militant groups Bayan-Muna Northern Mindanao Region spokesman Henry Trugillo and Karapatan lawyer Beverly Musni said they were taken by surprise when Arroyo congratulated Emano for this slide in the rate of corruption during her State of the Nation Address.
They were confused as to where and how Emano could have gotten these figures.
"How was corruption rate computed?" Musni said.
But for Musni, Arroyo and Emano's report "only validates that indeed there is corruption in Cagayan de Oro city."
She described that situation as "endemic" considering that even Arroyo herself "stole her post as President of the country."
Trugillo for his part said that if such slide in the corruption rate in Cagayan de Oro is a fact, then, there should have been people now thrown to jail for such a criminal act.
"The figure went down but why is there no one punished? Where is the logic there? People should now have been identified and sanctioned for graft and corruption," said Trugillo. (Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro/Sunnex)
(August 1, 2006 issue)
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