07/15/2011
Quezon City, a premier
metropolis, is also a city of mysteries. When the previous city
administration ended its reign, it boasted of a P6.5-billion budget
surplus. Its former mayor, a staunch pillar of the previous regime — now
vilified to the hilt — has moved on anew to become Speaker of the House
under the supposedly rival political faction of BSA III.
Similarly,
the previous mayor’s city administrator also moved to higher places,
i.e., the Office of the Executive Secretary in Malacañang. But just a
few months after a new administration was voted in, the city council is
already proposing to raise new taxes, leaving Quezon City residents
scratching their heads, asking, “What happened to the reported budget
surplus and savings of P6.5 billion?” Unfortunately, the new city mayor
can only reply with another query: “What budget surplus and savings? We
are in deficit!”
The former mayor, Sonny Belmonte, has not said a
word on the questions raised; neither has his city administrator. Quezon
City residents went to city hall to attend one of the sessions of the
city council, officially raising questions on the whereabouts of the
budget surplus propagandists of Belmonte, as well as to protest the
proposed 1-percent real estate tax increase for so-called “housing
projects.”
Such increases will naturally raise new needless
billions from the city’s citizens, who know full well that these city
councilors each enjoy an annual P43-million pork barrel, which will
never be properly accounted for. Yet, despite the citizens’ opposition,
these city councilors are pursuing it with shameless determination,
apparently confident that nothing but nothing can stop them — not even
the citizens’ threat to raise such questions of their “pork barrel” and
the “lost surpluses” in the proper forum.
Citizens are therefore
asking what exactly is happening in Quezon City that it can be so smug
to the inquiries and how so huge an anomaly as the missing P6.5-billion
surplus can be swept under the rug. To understand this, one has to look
at the “new” city hall. There may be a new mayor but he is all but
powerless against the old regime, which continues its tight grip over
the city.
The current vice mayor is Belmonte’s daughter. The city
administrator today used to be city treasurer under him as well while
the old cabal around him then is still in control. Corruption there is
neatly worked out, with everyone in the loop allegedly approving papers;
and with councilors, congressmen, and city officials concerned
allegedly getting their share of whatever allotted portions there are.
But how do these graft activities get around the rules designed to check
corruption? We’ll have to look at the Commission on Audit (CoA)
auditors.
For sordid graft activities in an institution to thrive,
it is inevitable that the CoA officials assigned are also in collusion.
Examining who the auditors are in the city today sheds light on what’s
going on in the city administration. Plus, to understand Quezon City
today requires a thorough review of the historic scandals in Philippine
government, such as the Gen. Carlos Garcia Armed Forces of the
Philippines (AFP) logistics plunder case that shocked the nation, which
led to the shameful “suicide” of Gen. Angelo Reyes.
Details of
plunder operations exposed by former AFP budget officer and now
whistle-blower Maj. George Rabusa by way of his plunder case against
three CoA auditors assigned previously to the AFP, among them Manuel
Warren, Arturo Besana and Crisanto Gabriel, show that the three
allegedly received bribes amounting to P69 million, P26.4 million and
P58 million, respectively. And while the rest have been “frozen,” one of
them has even been “promoted.”
State auditor Warren, who was
alleged to have received the biggest amount, was reactivated and
transferred to Quezon City Hall. This contradicts an earlier position of
the CoA chief, Grace Pulido-Tan, who correctly preferred to “freeze”
the accused state auditors. A change of heart reportedly occurred only
after she was called into a meeting in Malacañang.
What happened
in the supposed meeting, no one really knows, but one of the “most
guilty” auditors charged in that AFP plunder case was in fact
reactivated, and to Quezon City Hall at that. Tan’s confirmation as CoA
chief was reportedly opposed, but apparently Tan’s stay has been
prolonged. Has there been a quid pro quo?
Quezon City Hall is a
nest of graft and corruption. If its resident CoA auditor will have a
questionable reputation, then QC’s citizens can be assured that the rats
will play. Is the CoA in collusion or is it going to help save the city
and its citizens from the continuing rapacity of corrupt politicians
and bureaucrats?
Let’s see if Grace Pulido-Tan can overcome fears
of the old Quezon City mafia and help clean up the country’s premier
metropolis by ending the “CoA-llusion” there.
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