Peña accused of deception over birthday cakes

MANILA, Philippines - Former Makati vice mayor Bobby Brillante on Thursday accused acting Makati Mayor Romulo “Kid” Peña of deceiving the public on the cost of birthday cakes for the city’s senior citizens and for claiming that the cakes now being supplied by Goldilocks Inc.

In a statement, Brillante said what Goldilocks is delivering to the city’s senior residents under the present contract is just about the same size as what the previous supplier, Tinstate-Bakerite used to deliver under the contract made with suspended city mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay.

“What Goldilocks actually delivers to every Makati senior citizen under the Peña contract is about half the size of what Timstate-Bakerite used to deliver under the suspended Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr. contract,” said Brillante.

In a surprise visit to Makati’s Social Service Department Thursday morning, Brillante who is convenor for the Campaign for Public Accountability (CPA) a non-government anti-graft organization, took photos and made actual measurements of the birthday cakes as they were being delivered by Goldilocks.

“Upon actual measurement of the cakes delivered, I realized that it is only one and three fourth thick and eight and a half in diameter. This size is definitely not compliant with the supply contract signed by Acting Mayor Peña,” Billante said.

“All this time, Peña has been peddling lies about the cakes. He is not being truthful to the people. I am so much disappointed because I am one of the few who genuinely stands up against corruption in this country,” Brillante added.

Peña has dismissed the filing of a graft complaint against him by Brillante before the Office of the Ombudsman for the alleged overpriced purchase of birthday cakes for senior citizens of the city.

In a statement, Peña’s spokesperson Gibo Delos Reyes said Brillante’s allegation is absurd and baseless.

“This is outright ridiculous. How can be that possible when our bidding process where Goldilocks was selected was above board and even open to the media for public scrutiny?" Delos Reyes said.

“Obviously, the case is a desperate attempt to smear the reputation of Mayor Peña as a genuine reformer in cleansing the city hall procurement process. We have observed all measures, as far as practicable, to ensure utmost transparency,” Delos Reyes said.  

Delos Reyes said the filing of a graft case against Peña is an indication that his drive against corruption in the city is now being felt.

“Ang malabnaw na kasong ito ay patunay lamang na natatakot na ang pwersa ng katiwalian sa mga repormang ipinatutupad ni Mayor Peña sa bagong Makati,” he said.

"I am certain that the people of Makati will dismiss this outrageous charge and in the end, the case will be dismissed eventually as there is no legal basis that would support it,” Delos Reyes added.

In his complaint earlier filed with the Office of the Ombudsman, Brillante said the contract Makati entered into under Peña for the purchase of the cakes was overpriced by some P3 million or 35 percent higher than what the city paid under the term of suspended city mayor Junjun Binay.

In his complaint, Brilante said Peña awarded the P8.666 million to the chosen supplier, Goldilocks Inc. for the supply of 31,827 cakes from Aug. 15 to Dec. 31, 2015. Brillante said each cake is about P280 per piece but its size was reduced to nine inches in diameter with two inches thickness or height.

Brillante said the previous supplier for the cakes during Binay’s term – Timstate/Bakerite Food and Beverage Corp. delivered cakes at P306 each which is P26 more expensive than the present cakes but were bigger with nine inches in diameter and four inches thick or was about twice the size of the cakes now being delivered by Goldilocks.