Mayor: Disqualification case critics’ desperate act

By Dexter A. See 

BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan branded the disqualification cases filed against him before the Commission on elections a desperate act of his rivals to unceremoniously unseat him and undermine the will of the city’s electorate to re-elect him as the local chief executive.

In a 4-page counter-affidavit submitted to the Comelec en banc, Domogan said “there is absolutely no truth to the accusation against him for vote-buying in all the nine consecutive elections that he underwent which he consistently won.”

He said the people of Baguio could attest to the fact that his campaign has always been based on issues and performance, thus, the complaint against him for vote-buying has no basis.

           

On the alleged proposal from the group of barangay officials of Irisan barangay, he denied having direct knowledge on the proposal of some Irisan barangay officials for their campaign expenditures amounting to around P400,000 and that the same was not meant for vote-buying but instead for their campaign expenditures.

           

In the joint affidavit of Irisan punong barangay Thomas Dumalti and five of his kagawads, they claimed the submission of the aforesaid proposal was held in abeyance because of some concerns but before the submission of the proposal, the drawer of kagawad Philip Tanawe where he kept the proposal was forced open and the proposal was taken and to their surprise it was subsequently exposed through the media.

           

The joint affidavit of Irisan barangay officials confirm that Domogan and other Timpuyog ti Baguio candidates were not furnished the controversial proposal.

           

On the alleged use of Burnham Park reservation as the headquarters of the Timpuyog ti Baguio during the campaign period, Domogan said buildings utilized by the group as its headquarters are private properties owned by the Baguio City Host Lions club, Inc. and the Baguio city Pines Lions club for which were assessed for the use of the facilities from March 27, to May 15, 2013.

           

By doing so, the city mayor said the Timpuyog ti Baguio did not utilize government property during the campaign period and in fact, the group used the private properties and facilities of the two Lions Club for consideration and that the group hopes to be able to extend help to the needy since the payments are in the form of donations which will be used to finance the club’s various medical missions and other community activities for the indigents in Baguio and other parts of the country.

           

On the release of educational financial assistance to student beneficiaries, Domogan clarified that the said program, which is giving educational financial assistance to the poor but deserving students permanently residing in the city, trace its existence in 2001 when he founded it during his incumbency as then the congressman of the city and then Rep. Bernardo M. Vergara as then mayor of the city.

           

“From 2001 up to the second semester of schoolyear 2010, the said program was totally funded from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of your answering respondent in his capacity as congressman during the period that reached a budget of P14 million per year. Fortunately, Rep. Vergara, the partymate of herein respondent won as congressman of Baguio City in the 2010 elections,”Domogan stressed, adding that as part of the team, Vergara committed to continue the said program and earmarked P14 million per year from his PDAF for the purpose and that their partnership sustained the implementation of the program up to the present thereby benefitting thousands of poor and qualified student beneficiaries.

           

Under the program, which is being implemented by and through a committee consisting of 12 members, the beneficiaries receive their educational financial assistance in the amount of P7,000 towards the end and before the final examination of every semester to ensure that the parents of the beneficiaries had done their part in paying their share in the tuition fees of their children and to ensure that the beneficiaries attend their subjects they enrolled in.

           

Äs always, the distribution of the financial assistance is being done at the Baguio Convention Center and in the presence of the parents of the beneficiaries during which Vergara and Mayor Domogan are being invited to give inspirational messages to the parents and the beneficiaries, “he said, citing that the distribution of the educational financial assistance in the morning of March 17, 2013 was initially scheduled on March 3, 2013 but was moved to the earlier stated date due to the failure of some of the beneficiaries to accomplish the requirements for the preparation of the required payroll.

           

Domogan argued their presence during the occasion, which is usually being done everytime the financial assistance is being released, was upon invitation of the committee, for them to deliver their inspirational messages exhorting the parents to guide their children and to advise the students to be serious in their studies.

           

Domogan said release of the financial assistance last March 17, 2013 was done at the Baguio Convention Center openly and publicly in the presence of media personalities which is a clear indication that it was not intended to buy votes but part of a regular program established over ten years ago and which had been going on for years be it election year or not.

           

Domogan also questioned the video that was used as one of the evidence in the disqualification case considering that the face of Cong. Vergara and the tarpaulin clearly indicating the purpose of the program were deliberately blurred while his face was the one clearly shown thereby indicating that such evidence was mutilated and edited to suit the interest of his critics.

           

He asked the Comelec en banc to consider his defense that are supported by corresponding affidavits and dismiss the disqualification case for lack of merit.