Mayor says poll complaints filed against him not true

By Paul Rillorta

BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio Domogan answered accusations against him for vote-buying and other election related offenses here.

Speaking to members of the media Wednesday, Domogan said,  charges against him were a “desperate attempt of an individual to mar my reputation.”

Domogan was reacting to complaints filed by one Mary Grace Bandoy with the Commission on Elections for Violation of Paragraph a,b,d,i,j,m,o Sec. 261 Article XXII of the Omnibus election Code.

Charges of vote-buying consisting of proposal of a group of barangay officials of Irisan, use of government Park reservation as headquarters of Timpuyog ti Baguio and the release of scholarship grants to students and beneficiaries have been highlighted in the complaint.

Domogan however said, ‘serious allegations of vote buying against him has no truth and in fact his campaign is always based on issues and performance which he said the people can attest to.’

“On the first issue, I have no hand much less personal knowledge about the proposal of the group of barangay officials from barangay Irisan,” he said. “I only heard about this proposal from second hand sources and from the media,’ Domogan said.

In an affidavit, Barangay Chairman Thomas Dumalti and five of his kagawads admitted there was a draft proposal to extend their help during the campaign to the Timpuyog ti Baguio party.

However, Dumalti said the proposal was never presented to the Timpuyog Officials as it was allegedly stolen by an unidentified person and was later on exposed to members of the media as a form of a black propaganda.

On the second issue, Domogan said, ‘the buildings used by the Timpuyog Ti Baguio Party are private properties owned by the Baguio City (Host) Lions Club, Inc. and Baguio Pines Lions Club.’

“We have entered into a Contract of Lease with them where we paid P100,000.00 and P80,000.00 respectively as rental fees for the facility,” he said.

On the third issue, the mayor said the release of the educational financial assistance fund to students and beneficiaries is not vote-buying and is done by a committee.

‘We have been doing this as early as 2001 when I was the Congressman for the benefit of poor but deserving students of Baguio,’ Domogan said.

The mayor also said the program is funded by the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) which Congressman Bernardo Vergara committed to continue when he won in 2010 which has now reached a P14M budget per year.

The program is being implemented and Chaired by the Office of the City Social Welfare and Development Officer Betty Fangasan consisting of 12 members.

The financial assistance fund amounting to P7,000.00 per student/beneficiary is given towards the end of before the final examination of every semester.

Fangasan clarified, ‘the financial assistance fund was initially scheduled to be given last March 3 but was later on moved to March 17 due to the failure of some beneficiaries to accomplish requirements for the preparation of the payroll.’

Domogan said, ‘the release of the financial assistance was done at the Baguio Convention Center openly and publicly and in the presence of media personalities and a part of a regular program.’

“We have no hand in the selection of beneficiaries, the task is entrusted to the committee which screens the applicants they be a voter or not,” Domogan said.

A similar complaint was filed by National Peoples Coalition (NPC) bet Jose Molintas who lost during the May 13 Mayoralty race.