The System

Hole of Justice

By Peter G. Jimenea

The System 

The collusion of public officials to pounce of government coffers for every chance they get is what irked me about. I know they are once good people propelled by honest desire to serve but for having stayed long in government office they eventually yield to temptation of greed.

If we surf the Internet for records of (COA), this country has a lot of government employees dismissed in service. In RTC, Passi City we have one for P355,896.00 cash shortage and onother from the Treasurer’s Office for a P890,784.70 shortage in cash positioon.

A Notice of Disallowance was also issued to Passi City for excess payment of hare to Home Development Mutual Fund. The amount is P2,300,806.57. My God, the internet tells us this is from the national to the local government down to the barangay level. And it is now a “the system.”

The Iloilo Province which operates in reenacted budget in 2009, was also issued a Notice of Disallowance for its financial assistance to health workers of P23,298,000 through supplemental budget without legal basis. What a mess in million.

A Notice of Disallowance was again issued to the Iloilo Provincial government on the same year for its excessive extra cash gift to employees in excess of the PS Cap. This amount was P71,081,500.00 of the taxpayers’ money abused by officials. And we are only confined here in one-tenth of the mess in Iloilo Province.

A COA’s Notice of Suspension for a project means the concerned official involved is given an ample time to correct the discrepancies. But a Notice of Disallowance implies the concerned official must shoulder personally the amount involved after failing to fix the glitches.

However, in Notice of Disallowance involving official in custody of money, any shortage in cash position is immediately forwarded to the Ombudsman Office for further investigation and if affirmed, the filing of cases. On how many were already dismissed from service, we have yet to know!

What’s  funny is the procurement of Digital Autoclave Sterilizer for Don Valerio Palmares Sr. Memorial District Hospital in Passi City at P1,159,280.00 paid by the Iloilo Provincial government. We discovered the unit is defective and not in accordance with the specification.

But through collusion of BAC members and the bidders, despite the residual imperfection, their will was done. In fairness also to former governor Niel Tupas, Sr., he is not part of this dealing of the undesirable underlings he had been tapping.

When I exposed this grossly overpriced deal in a local newspaper, Gov. Tupas reprimanded State Auditor Haydee Pasuelo why the records got to my possession. The lady auditor said she knew nothing about me and denied she leaked the information.

So she tried to reach for me until she got my number. True, the lady-auditor has nothing to do with my column. She failed to know that the greatest risk of any organization like the Iloilo Provincial Capitol BAC is not from outside but from within.

How would I know of the transaction without a contact from the inside? Perhaps the informant trusted me more than anybody else and that explains it. Lately, Mrs. Pasuelo informed me that she attached all my articles to her folder in support of her bid for the selection of the best COA auditor of the year. She bagged the top national award with prize given personally by Pres. Noynoy Aquino.

She told me I deserved to be given an award too, for my efforts to expose corruption in the government. I said it is alright for me as long as my efforts bear fruits. In fact, knowing I have helped her to the top is already something to crow about.

But as I wrote earlier, it is now difficult to separate the chaff from the grain. Good government servants are only good at the start of their career but for how long? To fight the system is creating more enemies and at sundown, they may find themselves the only poor in a room full of rich colleagues.

As what Obispo Benjie of FB said; “for the evil to triumph is for the good man to stand and do nothing.” But we still have no guarantee that these good men will remain firm and cannot be swallowed by “the system.”

King Tura

Hole of Justice
by Peter G. Jimenea

Heaven forbids

Should disaster strike, Gov. Arthur Defensor will be caught with pants down as no fund was appropriated by his kingdom for that purpose. He and his smart-heads were all asleep when the Sangguniang Panlalawigan passed the Annual Budget Appropriations Act last December 2010.

None of them ever noticed that the Sanggunian resolved to hold “in abeyance” the annual budget for the disaster risk reduction and management fund. The term “held in abeyance” for all intents and purposes meant the proposal for the P69 million annual budget for the purpose is cutely disapproved. As simple as that.

Now, the governor is at a loss. The 2011 appropriations ordinance did not pass the scrutiny of the province chief legal counsel Atty. Dennis Ventilacion. It may have passed the eyes of PA Raul  Banias, Mr. Nereo Lujan of CAO-PIO, Provincial Treasurer Melba Sullivan and Budget Officer Elena Lim but none of them ever noticed it.

“That’s okay, after all, it is only held in abeyance”, they would explain. In Section 4 of the Appropriations Ordinance for 2011, the Sanggunian “held in abeyance” the calamity fund which will “only be released upon the approval of the Assembly.” But the big blow to Gov. Defensor is in the next line of the document.

“The Province Risk Reduction and Management Program submitted before the committee is unapproved until prior thorough consultations with the Assembly members,” continues the ordinance. Now you see how cute.

The implications of that are enormous. First, the governor is surrounded by old top-ranks in the Capitol who pretend to know a lot of things. Yes, with exception of the few real ones, they are the think-tanks with less-working brains.

I believed the Capitol disaster man Jerry Bionat, had warned Gov. Defensor of the consequences of the appropriations ordinance. But as it turn out he, preferred instead to heed the ideas of his smart heads to spend the disaster fund to buy equipment, both light and heavy, in millions of the province money.

Look, when disasters brought by typhoon Frank struck the city and province of Iloilo in June 20-21, 2008, then Gov. Niel Tupas quickly released the standby calamity fund to mobilize the people to procure and deliver relief goods to thousands of refugees.

That happened fast because the province had a ready fund duly approved by the Assembly. Gov. Tupas released them immediately without waiting for the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to place the kingdom in a “state of calamity”. The legislature convened later, declaring a calamity and ratifying the initiative of Gov. Tupas in disbursing calamity funds.

Today, should a natural disaster strike again with a like-magnitude of typhoon Frank, the governor can only pray for a miracle which is as surely to happen as praying for the sun to rise in the west and set in the east. How I wish this comment to always stay corrective, not punitive.

The compounding problem is he must first convene the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for an emergency conference, then beg from the members to approve the disaster risk reduction and management program with the accompanying budget of P69 million.

But prior to the release of fund, Gov. Defensor must also pray for the assembly to place the province in a state of calamity. That is, to avoid unwanted consequences. Why did he place himself at the mercy of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan in the use of calamity fund? This is not the Reporma kag Pagbag-o we expect from him.

I hope the governor can find ways to free himself from being hostage of the Sanggunian. Being the chief executive of the Iloilo Province, the governor is a little president. As such, he personifies the law that holds the community together either bearable or miserable.

He should not wait for another worse disaster to come before the glitches in his working relationship with the Sangguniang Panlalawigan can be fixed. Gov. Defensor must do it now as we still have no guarantee that during calamity, only Sanggunian members are endangered to become the casualty!

The Palace of Thieves

Hole of Justice

by Peter G. Jimenea

The Palace of Thieves!

I see no difference between the role of Bacolod City Mayor Bing Leonardia and our former mayor down to the incumbent mayor of Iloilo City except, that the latter were waylaid by temptation of greed in their frantic march to build a kingdom of their own.

Mayor Leonardia has constructed his turf in Bacolod City under the graceful smiles of constituents while the still undergoing construction of the Iloilo City Hall building that proudly represents the City of Love (kuno) had been bombarded with public contempt due to corruption.

For nine (9) long years from 2001 to 2009, Iloilo was under the stewardship of the most studious mayor (now Cong. Jerry Trenas). Yet, under him we only earned our bad mark in Philippine history as the only highly urbanized city without a city hall.

While Negrenses are walking tall in Manila, the Ilonggos are hiding their faces while praying at Quiapo Church in shame. Why? Instead of a city hall, our local government employees are holding offices at a city mall – the Robinsons Place!

On May 9, 2007, a City Council Resolution No. 2007-497 under presiding officer Vice Mayor Guillermo de la Llana was passed granting full authority to Mayor Trenas to transact P350M loan for construction of a city hall building.

On that day another Resolution No. 2007-498 was passed authorizing him to enter into a MOA in behalf of the city and the Deed of Assignment with the LBP. But it was on September 12, 2007 when Resolution 2007-1042 under Vice Mayor Jed Mabilog was passed to complete the deal.

It authorized Mayor Trenas to sign and execute the loan agreement and Deed of Assignment covering the P350M loan.  After which, Trenas repeatedly sounded his pomposity that P350M loan will complete the construction of the city hall building.

But on September 2, 2009, a new loan anomaly was discovered. A P105M was acquired without the corresponding authority from the city council. It was only a recommendation for an additional loan of P105M for the city hall construction.

There was no council ruling, however, authorizing Mayor Trenas to borrow the amount. He only relied on the recommendation of the City Council under Res. No. 2009-1244. Jurisprudence dictates, simplex commendatio non obligor – a mere recommendation is not binding. A studious lawyer that he is would have known about this!

As a result, the new price of the city hall rose to P455 million when experts comprised of Ilonggo architects and engineers claim P350M is enough to complete the eight storey city hall building. Upgrading is where volume of corruption comes in. Yet, Mayor Jed Mabilog applied for a new loan of P260M for another upgrading (kuno) making the total city hall cost to P710 million.

To recall, in July 2011, barely a month after assuming his post, Mayor, Mabilog approved the Revision of Plans for the City Hall which involved at least 30 items. First is the removal of the in-house parking space which violates the National Building Code.

Four (4) bright boys of the city council concurred with Mabilog’s initiated changes and gave the City Hall an exemption from the National building Code. They are Councilors Joshua Alim, Rodel Agado, Lyndon Acap and Edward Yee, owner of the controversial Barbecue Park at the Iloilo River bank. The public must know as this is not a cheap shot!

The Negrenses should also know that the drawing of that Iloilo City Hall building by an architect for free was reported to have been paid by Cong. Trenas with P12M prior he stepped down as mayor. My God, what an expensive drawing and I’m sure Mayor Bing subscribes to this!

This is not what we think the business of a chief local executive is all about. If they have that temerity to claim what rightfully belonged to others, who are they? Thieves, they can only be. Lowly employees are most sorely tempted to steal but don’t. What a shame and as to contrition for the misdeed apology not accepted!

What is somewhat missing in the empty lives of public officials doing this injustice to the taxpayers’ money is to die with dignity. This list of anomaly is now a scroll that forms the basis of their blasphemy. Perhaps, the most logical title for this city hall is el palacio de los ladrones or …… see the title!

Hole of Justice: The RH Bill

Hole of Justice: The RH Bill: "Hole of Justice by Peter G. Jimenea RH Bill - what’s more in this battle? A growing number of Christian organizations has expressed supp..."

Hole of Justice: The RH Bill

Hole of Justice: The RH Bill: "Hole of Justice by Peter G. Jimenea RH Bill - what’s more in this battle? A growing number of Christian organizations has expressed supp..."

The RH Bill

Hole of Justice

by Peter G. Jimenea

RH Bill - what’s more in this battle?

A growing number of Christian organizations has expressed support to the Reproductive Health Bill (RHB), and the issue that has long consumed the country was, as it turned out, not good for the Catholic Church..

One of the groups is the Iglesia Ni Kristo. As the issue delves on birth control and limit in number of kids by a family, the Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has also sounded their call to fight tooth and nail to stop the passage of the Bill.

But what inspired them to wage a war? As we see it, the Church’s most profitable business is  – human production. The stake involved in their stiff opposition to the Bill guaranteed the tawdry spectacle that follows – income from birth to death of devotees in all Christian communities.

We had been treated with doctrine of Christendom about baptismal, confirmation, first communion and so forth. But later is the wedding of the grown-ups as another doctrine of the Church for Christians wanting to have a family and all these - for a fee.

Worse, they say dead members of our family can never go to heaven without first securing a ticket from the Church – the blessing for a fee. There’s no Muslims or Buddhists in this Catholic Church business, only two members of a Christian family, the rich and the poor majority who prefer to accept money than apology!

The condom and contraceptives were already in used prior to the introduction of RH Bill in Congress. On why the CBCP suddenly stood up only now in opposing the people’s use of these birth control things, only God knows.

They also said life is sacred, thus, no to the RH Bill. But pity those crying mothers on the TV screen begging for financial help from people with golden hearts to save their dying kids. Where is the CBCP now that sacred lives are about to go?

Pet Melliza a colleague, is correct to say that Church leaders refused to accept the RH Bill as more parishioners, more collection. Oral contraceptives and condoms are not to abort but only to stop the sperm from developing into a fetus to become a human being.

The stuffs are merely to avoid unwanted pregnancy and additional new child-member in the family. These are not abortion as what the earlier claim hinted at. There’s no murder here, for how can you kill a lifeless matter?  

The CBCP nitpicks too much on the State's affair when their backyards are in shambles. They skipped the scattered dirt of peers but have that large propensity to interfere in the programs of the government for the future of its people.

The country’s population growth is fast-getting closer to the pit of poverty. It only widens the economic disparity between the rich and the poor as the Church intervened too much in government affairs.

Anything in excess is bad. The CBCP is already in the pot but jumped into the fire. What is wrong with RH Bill that it must be killed? Glitches can be fixed and women who are prone to risks of pregnancy are more than willing to accept it.

But the CBCP and Church hollies always resort to arguments to sway popular support rather than facts and reason. No wonder why small religious sects that abandoned the Catholic Church are growing in number.

They are fed up of too much intervention by the Church in government affairs This gives also more reasons to the government to give them the taste of defeat as the push comes to shove.

A big population is good for the CBCP inter se but it does not sit well for women who risk live during pregnancy. Thus, despite the ex-communication threat of the Church they stood pat supporting the RH Bill.

A national daily with picture of two women who challenged the Catholic Church to ex-communicate them is already a vital document to support this claim. They eventually realized the usefulness of RH Bill to women in particular and to the Filipino families in general.

Like Cong. Janet Garin, Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago and Ms. Lea Salonga who openly support the Bill, the two ladies, like other pro RH Bill already understand that the prize at stake in this war is worthy of the battle they are fighting for!

Hole of Justice: Guess who?

Hole of Justice: Guess who?: "Hole of Justice By Peter G. Jimenea Guess Who? SHE - A ranking regional official of CHED in Region 6 was reprimanded by the lawyer-chief..."

Guess who?

Hole of Justice

By Peter G. Jimenea

Guess Who?

SHE - A ranking regional official of CHED in Region 6 was reprimanded by the lawyer-chief of the CHED legal division in Manila for her delayed answering of the phone-in question. The question is simple; “Is the Comprehensive Enhancement Program for the graduating nursing student in UI-PHINMA a school curriculum?” Eventually, she said no! Who is this corrupt official?

SHE… a disgruntled employee of the DepEd informed this writer that a school division superintendent who is soon to retire is busy travelling from one country to another. But according to this employee, the school superintendent doesn’t have enough money or property to finance her tour.

The source further disclosed the frequent going out of the country by this lady started after she had a done-deal with a book supplier from Manila. Unfortunately, the books are used only for supplemental reading. She is not the only school division superintendent in this deal but a lot of them. Who is she?

HE… the Iloilo City Hall division chief with salary grade 22 was recently promoted by the mayor to a new position. This division chief willingly accepted the promotion. He is now a secretary to the taskforce chief with salary grade 15.  By golly, where is logic in this promotion?

The new appointment is not promotion but demotion. This poor guy has become another willing victim of the mayor by animus abducendi – the intention of leading away, or inducing a person or a minor to abandon his home. Acquiesence is not always good and who is this obedient man?

THEY… a group of city councilors are preparing for an official tour to New York and to other parts of the world. The good news (kuno) is they will be travelling at their own expense. What a falsa descripto – a false description of a city council full of rich members.

A city hall employee retorted that a lot of these legislators don’t have the money for that purpose and they only availed themselves of the wrong remedy – the emerging issue towards that new P290M loan for upgrading of the city hall under construction.

There are enough reasons for the people to suspect as the additional loan of P290M was passed during the Holy Week and was immediately approved by majority of the city councilors acting like passengers catching the last plane out!

There had been so many justifications by self-proclaimed experts re: this additional P290M loan. But I cannot forget the repeated pompous announcement of the former city mayor that a P350M is enough to complete the construction of the Iloilo City Hall building. Who is this liar?

I cannot blame Mayor Jed Mabilog in this emerging mess if protecting his boss is the right thing to do. There is a big difference between Bacolod City - the City of Smile and Iloilo City, the City of Love where leadership is inspired by amor nummi – love of money.

In fact, Iloilo City is the only highly urbanized city in the whole country with a loving mayor who has no legacy whatsoever for the past nine years. Ah, City of Love, isn't this claim a nonsense? Well, going back to the P290M loan, who are these rich city councilors soon on official tour?

HE…the city government has an appropriation for land acquisition. This is mandated by law and the mayor may appoint someone who is knowledgeable about land dealing. The man to deliver the seventy-miles the mayor badly wants before his first three-year term expires is a City Hall Realtor better known as “The Commissioner.” Guess who is he?

A COA auditor text me a message that she cuts all my columns in The Daily Guardian newspaper about government corruption and had them xerox in seven copies each. Likewise, my defending her from scrutiny of involved corrupt officials. She said to have attached them to her folder for evaluation of the screening committee. 

Later, I was informed that she was chosen a top national awardee for excellence in performance of duty. I am happy to hear about it for at least, my effort has borne fruits although in some other way. God knows, exitus acta probat – the outcome justifies the deed.  Congratulations Ms. Haydee Pasuelo!

To die with dignity

Hole of Justice
by Peter G. Jimenea

To die with dignity

Never had there been school officials so irresolute and derelict in their duties than those crooks from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Region VI. Their deliberate betrayal of the students’ trust has created an  impression that it is done in exchange for… you know what!

The 699 graduating students of the University of Iloilo-Nursing School (UI-PHINMA), have been duped to enroll and pay P15,000 each for a Review Class not authorized by CHED. They were also told that grades obtained from this examination will constitute 40 percent of their total passing grade for graduation.

Sad to say, but after the examination, about one-half of the graduating class failed. The news stirs the peace among students who already have an idea of their grades in other subjects and are hopeful to graduate this year.

One of the affected parents wrote to the Dean, UI-PHINMA School of Nursing asking to furnish her the following guidelines; (1). Grading System, Components and Computation for both RLE and Lecture for Second Semester A.Y. 2010-2011.

(2). Whether or not the Review Class Hours was included in the number of hours for RLE & (3). What if a student will not attend a Review Class. A copy of which was also sent to CHED asking its legal opinion about this UI-PHINMA “In-House Review Program” for a fee.

Attached to her letter is the CHED's Memorandum Order No. 13, Series 2006: Re: "Prohibiting Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) from forcing their graduates and graduating students to enroll in their own Review Centers and/or Review Centers of their preference."

Upon learning of CHED M.O. 13, UI-PHINMA changed the title Review  into Comprehensive Enhancement Program. Still, a task-force created by CHED investigated the school officials on April 19, 2011. As the Holy Week falls on 21 and 22, taskforce members told the students they will know of the result on April 25, 2011.

It was only a misfortune that no news whatsoever was reported about the result of the investigation of CHED in this violation by UI-PHINMA. Instead, they informed the students that school officials asked for extension of time to submit a reply until May 3, 2011.

Worse, while CHED officials are giving the poor students a run-around of their case, on April 28 and 29, 2011, UI-PHINMA give examination on Comprehensive Enhancement Program to the graduating class. It is widely believed to justify their retention of the money the students have paid for enrolling in the subject. My God, what is somewhat missing in the empty lives of these people is to die with dignity!

This is not what we think CHED business is all about. But its Office in Region 6 seems to have been overrun by crooks. The deliberate neglect of officials to this problem and their open defiance to CHED M.O. No. 13 Series of 2006, which is their very own guidelines, had given school officials plenty of leeway to ignore that law for profit.

CHED officials in Region 6 should have warned school officials to refrain from doing monkey business while the students' case is still pending. But they did not. On why, your guess is as good as mine. But as a result, the students were badly beaten by their looks, asking, “the case was delayed, the decision was prepared, how?” These CHED officials have large propensity to deceit - Capone of their time!

“In Review Center Association of the Philippines vs. Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita and Commission on Higher Education, a student is not even required to enroll in a review class or to take a review course prior to taking an examination given by the PRC.”

“Even if a student enrolls in a review center, attendance is not mandatory. He is not required to take or pass an examination and neither is he given a grade. The “In-House Review Program” offered by the university should be optional and not a pre-requisite for graduation or completion of the course.”

If CHED Region 6 officials do not know about this, perhaps they’re  hired not on academic capability but on political expediency. As the push comes to shove, the most logical name for this regional office is departamento de los ladrones – a department of thieves. Their injustice to the students is a crime that cries to God for punishment!

Res clamat domino – a thing clamors for its owner. How I wish justice will be served to the students soonest. For CHED officials involved in this mess, I hope to have delivered the spanking you deserved for your stupidity. Make your day in this column, you asked for it. Unlike me who wait for others to make my day!

The Wasted Medicines

Hole of Justice
by Peter G. Jimenea


The last casualty!


One of the pesky episodes in life of a journalist is to learn that public officials abused the position they are so proud of. More so, in insisting that even with so much smoke there is no fire. They should know that to conceal is one thing, to be silent is another.


This story is about the expired medicines at the warehouse of the Regional Health Office, Field Unit 6 at Mandurriao, Iloilo City. The then Regional Director was Merceditas Cabaneyro, whose rise to the position is doubtful, whether on managerial capability or by political expediency.


Never has there been a government official so derelict and irresolute in duty and responsibility than her. Deliberate or not, lot of poor sickly-people and hospital patients in rural area died for lack of medicine due to her neglect.


There are Rural Health Offices in municipalities that need medicines and other medical aid the government can provide in order to perform according to functions from which they are created for. But why did she keep those medicines from them?


On why the chief occupant of said health office failed to uphold her moral responsibility to the people she is most sorely obliged to serve, only God knows. But for lawyers with smooth mastery of law, her guilt is culpa aquiliana – civil responsibility from which fault or negligence intervene.

The expired medicines inside the cartons filing outside the warehouse when retrieved were mostly vitamins, pain killer and paracetamol which cost no less than P15M. That amount does not include yet the imported items donated by foreigncountries. This is what got us so disgusted about.


The public must know because the one thing we all abhor is not a cheap shot, it’s the taxpayers’ money. What gives us hope in this battle against corruption was the lady prosecutor who promised to bring our findings to the attention of concerned officials for action.


She invited us to join her in probing the officials involved in this mess and in preparation of cases to be filed against the culprits. But the discovery of expired medicines issue which consumed the city for months seems not good for the Court.


We learned from her (now a judge) that an influential politician with strong connection to thepowers-that-be has intervened in behalf of the regional director. Worse, she was also told to refrain from pushing for the investigation of the case, or she will lose her job.


Probably, that person thinks he is a national peacekeeper, an interloper in this local affair of corrupt official and the press. He failed to realize that his critical intervention has given us an impression that he is a kind of person who prefers to accept money than apology!


As expected, the case disappeared in the course of time. The press people who cooperated were rewarded with advertisement contracts and we who did not were intimidated against. Worse, later, we were no longer allowed by the security guards who threaten to shoot if we enter the DOH premises.


Thus, the regional director easily got out of the mess she’s in. But her mindset syndrome reeks with domino theory and resurfaced to shock us again. After two years since the discovery of those expired medicines, a new scam suddenly occurred to occupy the airlanes.


A certain Ms. Nona Flores, Nurse IV of the DOH who conducted a new inventory of medicines reported that over seven million pesos worth of expired medicines was again discovered at the warehouse of the Regional Health Office-6.


But the law is so broad for a grasp. Jurisprudence dictates, affirmantis est probare – he who affirms must prove. So, all we can do is to look at each other this way and that asking; “the investigation was delayed but the decision was prepared, how?” It is written though, qui peccat ebrius luat sobrius- he who offends when drunk shall be punished when sober!


Well, one way to curb corruption is to destroy the system that fosters it. But to date no law had been passed by Congress to confront this lingering mess of society. Why? Lawmakers are certain too, that fighting it that way, endangers them to become….. see the title!

Copyright © 1999-2011 Google

Jerry and Me

Hole of Justice

by Peter G. Jimenea

I don’t like him either!

Cong. Jerry Trenas is said he doesn’t like me for my expose of corruption in his administration when still a mayor of Iloilo City. But during his stint, he has misgivings that as to contrition for what he did, apology cannot be accepted!

The Iloilo Terminal Market is already a hounding issue. Prior the project starts, a P17M cash advance was released by the bank, depicting a cart placed in front of the horse. As to motive of the cash advance, only God knows!

Another mess of things is the city government project of 413 units of low-cost houses in Pavia for lowly city employees. With a new PNB loan of P120M, the contractor is advised to submit billings direct to the bank for payment.  

This is not good for the heart of some people. So, they secretly transferred the loan obligation from the PNB to the Philippine Veterans Bank (PVB). On how the documentation alone cost P12M, they have a lot of explaining to do!

But that Housing Project that started in 2001, ended in 2009 without a unit built. In streets smart parlance, a hao shiao project or a white elephant and Mayor Trenas doesn't want to talk about it anymore.

The demolition of the old City hall building at Plaza Libertad was another business tainted with corruption. The bidding was closed at P800T, surprisingly it was carried out by negotiated contract for a bigger amount of P1.2 million.

Not only that. In his succeeding years as mayor, the Jalandoni Bridge was built crossing from Gen. Luna to Barangay Nabitasan, La Paz. But it was redirected to spare the hotel owned by his relative. Despite the imperfection, their will was done!

His two other national projects were the fly-over at UPV-Iloilo City crossing to Benigno Aquino Avenue and the one in front of the University of San Agustin. The projects can never be constructed without the nod of the mayor, thus, it is widely believed that his consent is in exchange for… you know what!

Reports obtained from the DPWH disclosed that a one-kilometer concrete road cost only about P20M to 22M. But the 250 meters fly-over at UPV-Iloilo to the other side of the street cost P420M. The 300 meters in front of the USA also cost P330M. Can one imagine the SOP?

Here’s we go again, the 4% bookkeeper share being deducted by the city from the IRA fund of the 180 barangays. Is there such animal in the trial balance of the city government? Unless authorized by law, this barangay IRA deduction is a broad daylight robbery.

Look, the city government is charging every barangay for electric bill on account of the street lights. But why charge another as illumination fee? Aren’t the shining lights from bulbs on street posts not illumination?

Another mess of things is the Perimeter Boundary Ordinance (PBO). There are collectors charging fees to public utility vehicles coming in and going out of the PBO. On who gets the big slice of the pie... just guess the rest!

A councilor said the mayor paid P12M for the blueprint of the city hall building structure. Oh my God, what an expensive drawing. But Kgd. Tony Pesina claimed they had not seen that drawing.

Worse is the General Fund (GF) which normally has the biggest cash balance had a P650M that cannot be reconciled due to lack of documents or no document at all. It was found out few months before the now Cong. Trenas stepped down as mayor!

The item GF is normally having a positive cash position records ever since the time of his predecessors. On what misfortune, when he’s about to leave his office, it has a negative record of P667,761,54 and you know what that means.

For others, this is understandable and tolerable. But this is not what we think the role of a city mayor is all about. They who understand and tolerate commission of deliberate misgivings against them are probably people who prefer to accept money than apology!

This is a story that won’t go away. His studying of everything in governance overtly professed what he covertly undertakes. So what’s more absurd legacy can we ask? Well, if Cong. Trenas says he doesn’t like me.... see the title!

Plunder

Hole of Justice

by Peter G.  Jimenea

Who’s in for plunder?

The Iloilo City Council has recently approved the additional loan of P260M for the upgrading of the still under construction City Hall. But the approval is smack of subterfuge as the controlling majority played their cards close to chests.

According to experts, a P450M suffice to finish the building construction and the P260 additional loan for upgrading is too much. The P86M unobligated part of the first loan would be enough for the plan, thus, the additional loan for a new estimate is too much.

There is a need for investigation of this reverberating sound of overprice in City Hall construction. In fact, Pres. Rommel Ynion of the Iloilo Press Club is said preparing to file plunder case against corrupt city officials. I hope he makes good his threat though, otherwise, he will look like a neophyte wanting to be noticed.

Lowly City Hall employees cannot set-aside suspicion of corrupt practices among officials involved in the signing of loan approval as the deal was done during holy week by city councilors acting like passengers catching the last plane out!

This reminds me of the P22M renovation of the Iloilo Central Market few years ago. The media and the opposition members of the city council wrongfully smelled something fishy in the deal. They brought the issue on the air where aggressive tactics guaranteed a high level of hostility.

But the issue immediately stopped when money changed hands. This case of P260M loan is different. It was manipulated by majority of the city council members and this is where the subplot of bribery comes in. It may be a perception but the claim makes sense!

We have been treated by misdeeds of the previous administration where leaders see to it that those who cooperated were rewarded and those who did not were discriminated against.  Take a look at that 4% bookkeeper share (kuno) being deducted from the 180 barangays IRA fund.

The city council had been silent about this. The City Government has its own IRA, then why cut 4% of the IRA fund of 180 barangays when the money rightfully belonged to them? The city also charged each barangay for electric bill, why collect another amount for illumination? What’s this illumination fee all about?

The demolition of the old City Hall building has already duped the taxpayers. It was demolished not on the P800T winning bid but for the P1,200,000 negotiated contract. The blueprint of the City Hall building is another which cost P12M. My God, what an expensive drawing!

So how could officials blame us to suspect corruption in every move that involved money matters? The Pavia Housing project in 2001 which consumed the city until 2009 is a vital document in this claim. But as it turned out, was not good for the Ombudsman.

There’s a report that councilors hesitant to sign the P260M loan were never given the chance to be heard in the session hall. Unless they are dumb, this concept of fair play is at odds with due process. The essence of democracy is the right to be heard, not to be railroaded!

Many people at coffee shops suggested this case should be investigated and if evidence warrant, file charges against council members who signed the ordinance approving that loan. Perhaps not plunder but violation of RA 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act will do.

Yet, there is one in Iloilo City that deserved this plunder case. He is Cong. Jerry Trenas. By religiously paying the contractor for his abandoned Pavia Housing project, there is no reason why he should be spared from this mess he’s in.

Not a single unit was built out of the 413 low-cost houses stipulated in the contract between the city and Alex Trinidad the contractor. We spent P62.5M for nothing and another P24.7 millions for bank interest of P17,000 daily including holidays for over a year. This deliberate injustice is a crime that cries to God for vengeance!

The P62.5M paid to contractor for a project that never was, is more than P50M for Plunder to prosper. This corner though, is forum non conveniens – an inconvenient place for conducting judicial business, let’s give them their day in Court. Audi alteram partem – no man shall be condemned unheard!