Senator Links Members Of Philippine President's Administration To $8 Million Lampost Scam
March 31, 2007 10:27 a.m.
Komfie Manalo - All Headline News Correspondent
Manila, Philippines (AHN) -
Oppositionist and re-electionist Senator Panfilo Lacson on Saturday accused some members of Philippine Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's administration of being behind the multi-million dollar lamppost scandal in Cebu City. Cebu City is south of the capital Manila. The lampposts were purchased at an inflated price during the last Association of South East Asian Nation's summit held in the province in January.
Lacson called on road Users Tax Board executive director Reynaldo Puno to explain why the road tax was used to fund the overpriced lampposts in the city.
He hinted that more people in the Arroyo administration benefited from the "lamppost scam." He called for more "heads to roll" apart from those of the two suburban Cebu City mayors, their respective engineering staff and regional public works officials.
The office of the Ombudsman has issued six-month preventive suspension orders against Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Ouano and Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Arturo Radaza. There is a pending investigation of their alleged involvement in the $8 million overpricing scandal.
"Isn't the surname of the executive director of the Road Users Tax Board Puno? (Reynaldo Puno) is the only one who knows about how the road users' tax is spent," Lacson told reporters before going on the stump in this city.
Reynaldo is the brother of Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno. Puno, who is a staunch supporter of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, is reputed to be her top political operative.
Lacson on Friday said that the road tax, some $145 million of which is collected annually, should only be spent for the upkeep of the country's highways and streets. He said it would be malversation (misuse) of public funds if the money were used for the purchase and installation of lampposts.
"Every case of corruption in the country almost always involves Malaca?ang. Those behind the scam are not only the two mayors," he said.
"They saw there was overpricing and they got involved. But the money distributed came from the national level (via the road tax), not from the local purse," he added.