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[av_heading heading=’‘Bribery at OBO an orchestrated issue’’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY MAE SINGUAY
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BACOLOD City – Mayor Evelio Leonardia dismissed the alleged P1.5-million bribery at the Office of the Building Official (OBO) as “politicized and orchestrated.”
An unverified text message sent to journalists claimed OBO head Isidro Sun Jr. issued a “fake temporary occupancy permit” and that “some engineers” of the city government received “P1.5-million bribe for the opening of CityMall on Nov. 8.”
Another text message claimed Reynaldo Tenedero of Bon Builders Corp., project-in-charge of CityMall, and a companion gave the money to Sun and some OBO engineers.
Reacting to the text messages, Sun urged the city council to conduct an investigation. He denied receiving bribe money. Leonardia welcomed a Sangguniang Panlungsod investigation, too. He said transparency was important and that he was worried this allegation was an orchestration of his political enemies. He did not elaborate.
The City Legal Office (CLO) under Atty. Joselito Bayatan was also conducting a fact-finding investigation.
But while the legal office may summon the persons named in the text, it can only do so much until the complainant reveal themselves, said Bayatan.
“We cannot start on a mere hearsay,” he stressed. “We encourage them to execute a sworn statement and forward it to the CLO.”
Bayatan was cautious of the repercussions of spreading unsubstantiated claims.
“It’s easy to say [anything], but if they (text message sender) withdraw what they said, we cannot run after them,” said the city lawyer.
Leonardia, meanwhile, would not comment on the expired undertaking that Tenedero executed.
Tenedero executed an undertaking to the OBO so that the office would issue him an Occupancy Permit; in return, CityMall would have to comply within 30 days its construction deficiencies.
The mall must provide restrooms for persons with disabilities at the ground floor, install railings at the stairs and the second floor atrium, build a second-floor plan, and install all plumbing fixtures, among others.
Leonardia said he would wait for the report of the OBO regarding the matter and would forward it to the City Legal Office.
The mayor said he did not want to be misunderstood by the business sector as unfriendly./PN
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