Probe scams, says Santos

Pasay City mayoral candidate Ricardo "Ding" Santos sought the re-investigation yesterday of alleged anomalous dealings involving top officials of the city government, saying that the local electorates must be properly briefed on the progress of the investigations.

Santos called on the Ombudsman and the Commission on Audit to initiate a probe so that those involved could be identified and meted appropriate sanctions under the law. Among the anomalies mentioned by Santos were the year 2000 Christmas packages allegedly worth P30 million but which were said to have been grossly overpriced.

The funds spent for the purchase were sourced from a P115 million loan from the Philippine National Bank which was authorized by the Sangguniang Panlungsod. Santos said the goods were grossly overpriced, citing as example a coffee sachet worth only P9.90 but which was priced allegedly by Kirov Enterprises at P73.81.

The PDP-Laban/Kaibigan mayoralty bet also asked for the immediate closure of 14 bus terminals operating without business permits but which are being tolerated by the present city administration.

Santos cited the LTFRB injunction against such bus terminals, as well as a 1987 Sanggunian Panlungsod ordinance limiting the number of bus terminals in the city. There are least 34 such bus terminals operating in Pasay, despite the 1994 Traffic Summit that limited the number of bus terminals between Caloocan and Pasay cities to only fifteen along EDSA.

Also mentioned were the P56 million Arebe scam, which involved fire fighting equipment, the unfinished water tank and the loss of P1 million in cash from the city treasury last December.