Muntinlupa mayor asked to account for P1-B budget

The political opposition dared yesterday Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime Fresnedi to account where the city’s P1.1-billion annual budget has gone in the face of charges by concerned city hall insiders that "at least 20 percent" of the city’s funds was going to waste due to corruption.

Mayoralty bet Bess Aguilar Masangkay expressed alarm, meanwhile, over complaints that the city government has more than 3,000 "ghost" employees who eat up a substantial portion of the city’s budget.

Aguilar Masangkay cited the allegation of the "Concerned Employees of Muntinlupa City" that a 20-percent or more cut for kickbacks and commissions has become standard practice for all public works projects in the city.

Aguilar Masangkay urged Fresnedi to make a public accounting of city funds "in the spirit of transparency and public accountability."

She lamented that the city’s garbage could not even be collected on time and city roads are left unrepaired despite the city government’s huge budget.