• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Representative Stephen Joseph Paduano, caretaker of the Negros Occidental 3rd district, disclosed on Monday that the House committee on Public Accounts will conduct an inquiry on November, into the alleged anomalies in the procurement and irregular enactment of local measures by the Silay City government in Negros Occidental.
In a recent privilege speech at the House of Representatives, Paduano said it has come to his attention that the Silay City government, led by Mayor Joedith Gallego, has approved local measures that are allegedly laden with discrepancies, irregularities, and evident partiality.
These acts are particularly concerning as it involved misuse of public funds that, if not exposed, would cause undue burden and irreparable injury to the constituents of Silay City, the solon claimed, apparently referring to the repair, rehabilitation and renovation of the city public market, with a budget of P300 million and construction of the P500 million new City Hall.
Gallego has maintained that everything has been complied with, and the procedures were followed, as mandated by law.
“It’s trial by publicity and a demolition job because elections are near,” the mayor said.
Gallego also branded it as political harassment, as he dismissed the allegations as baseless.
“That’s a flimsy excuse of all local government units na gin hear ko (which my committee hears),” Paduano said in response to the claim of political harassment.
“You defend, you explain to your people and to the public, all of these allegations,” the solon told Gallego.
It’s not between me and Mayor Joedith. It’s all between him and the complainants, Paduano further said.
He (Gallego) has to face and explain it in the inquiry, he said, stressing also that his committee conducted probes against local government executives in Batangas, Laguna and New Mexico in Pampanga.
So, why not in my province, Paduano also said.
Gallego, according to the solon, will be a resource person and a witness in the committee hearing.*
