Commission On Audit Filed A Notice Of Disallowances Against Some Manila Officials

A two-page notice of disallowance against some of the government officials in the city Manila was released by the Commission on Audit last October 29, 2009. The notice was filed after it was found that the claims for the consultancy payment of the 21 consultants, who were supposedly appointed to work at the office of the mayor, were deficient. The said vouchers did not complement the audit prepared by Domingo C. Bocalan Jr., State Auditor IV and that the vouchers were void because the 21 consultants listed in the payroll were inexistent. The illegal transaction was said to have cost the city the amount of P5,058,000.00.

The notice of disallowance was filed soon after Mayor Alfredo Lim said in his affidavit that he did not have any knowledge, whatsoever, of the said transaction, and that he never authorized the purported contracted services to take place. As a follow up, Lim also noted that he did not sign any contract for the said services nor did he allowed the fictitious consultants to receive any consultation fees or compensations. Lim’s statement were further reinforced by three of his office staff. The three office staff who supported the mayor’s statement were Rowena Senatin, Helen Natividad and Arturo Mijares.

In their affidavit, the three staff pointed out that the names of the 21 consultants in the payrolls submitted to them were not appointed by the mayor to work in his office. Senatin, Natividad and Mijares also confirmed that consultants in the voucher were inexistent. Such government anomaly is an indication of the existence of illegal transactions taking place in the local government of Manila. Likewise, this transaction was not necessarily carried out to help the city but a mere justification for the involved personnel to acquire personal gains.

Eleven officials from the accounting and property division of the local government of Manila were named as the persons liable for the said anomalous transaction. The named officials were Pacifico Lagramada, Yolanda Ignacio, Marleen Young, Gloria Quilantang, Vicky Valientes, Erlinda Marteja, Philip Cabalun II, Cherry Chan, Alicia Moscaya, Fritz Noel Borres, and Rodelio Leyson. The said officials consented the release of P5,058,000.00 as a payment to the non-existent consultants for their supposed services to the mayor’s office. Mayor Alfredo Lim and his staff confirmed that names of the perpetrators.

Bocolan recommended in the notice of disallowance that the identified perpetrators from the accounting and property division of the city of Manila to refund the full amount of P5,058,000.00. The said amount was the payment for the consultants of the alleged contracted services. The notice given by the Commission of Audit was final, giving the involved officials six months to settle the issue. Accordingly, if the said individuals were not able to comply, the commission would take the necessary steps in order to enforce the notice.

Although the words of Mayor Alfredo Lim may have served as the justification for the named individuals to be held liable by the Commission on Audit, it appears that there is something wrong with this transaction. The only question that needs to be answered in this incident is how did the transaction came to fruition if Mayor Lim did not approve it in the first place? While there may have been people held liable for this transaction, the above question is a simple inquiry to further shed light on how the transaction was carried out. Perhaps this question is needed to be answered for the public’s understanding.

Some officials from the city of Manila were involved in yet another government anomaly. The Commission on Audit filed a notice of disallowance against 11 Manila officials after deficiencies on the vouchers were found during the auditing process. The voucher contained the alleged consultancy fees of 21 fictitious consultants, who purportedly contracted to work for the office of the Mayor. Mayor Alfredo Lim claimed that he did not sign any contract concerning the appointment of the said consultants.

Mayor Alfredo Lim And Colleagues Charged With Graft and Corruption

Mayor Alfredo Lim is once again placed under public scrutiny after graft charges were filed against him before the Office of the Ombudsman last April 8, 2010. Lim allegedly conspired with other Manila officials to a non-existent affair and falsified receipts, which is said to have cost the city of Manila P221, 250.00. Reynaldo L. Bagatsing, Lim’s former legal adviser, was the one who filed the lawsuit. In his sworn affidavit, Bagatsing requested for the Ombudsman to place the officials under preventive suspension.

Bagatsing also included seven other officials in the said anomaly. The seven were Atty. Rafaelito M. Garayblas, Atty. Analyn T. Marcelo-Buan, Maria Lourdes R. Malulu, Cherry Chao, Cecilia V. Sican, Leanie S. Sanding, and Vicky R. Valientes. Bagatsing pointed out that the said officials falsified the original receipts provided by Angel’s Burger House. It was also indicated that, the officials made it appear that Manila Barangay Bureau simultaneously spearheaded on August 27, 2009 an activity called Barangay Peace Keeping Action Team”"an affair which was supposedly participated by all the barangays in Manila, which according to the complainant was a non-existent affair.

In what appears to be another Manila government anomaly, Lim’s former legal counsel described in detail how the illegal activity took place. It was said in the statement that in the reimbursement voucher presented by the officials, it was written that 5,500 pieces of cheeseburgers were consumed by the participants in the assembly. What truly bothered the complainant was the fact that such small burger outlet is not capable of producing 5, 500 cheeseburgers in one day, when in reality such delivery could have taken the said burger joint 15 days to complete. Adding up to this was the evidence presented by Bagatsing to support his claim”"the inspection report filed on October 19, 2009, which showed that the original receipt numbers which were originally 0066 and 0067 were falsified to become 0214 and 0215, and was later on approved by the inspector, Cecilia V. Sican of the City General Services Office (CGSO).

Due to the forged documents presented by the officials to the city treasurer of Manila during the reimbursement process, they were able to obtain P221, 250.00. Hence, it is apparent that the involved Manila officials committed malversation and falsification or articles 217 and 171 of the revised penal code respectively. Likewise, involved officials in this alleged Manila government anomaly failed to adhere to the required bidding process, making them liable for the violation of Section 367 of Republic Act. No. 7160 (R.A. 7160). Section 367 of R.A. 7160 stipulates that procurement of any supplies by all the local units of Manila area must not exceed to P150, 000.00 in any one month, which apparently was not followed by the involved officials.

The former legal counsel of Alfredo Lim brought him into charges as he was represented in the said transaction by his secretary Rafaelito Garayblas. Lim’s secretary signed the false and manufactured documents, thereby giving his authority and consent among the Manila officials who oversee the fruition of this illegal transaction. Lim may not have directly signed the said documents, but it must be taken into account that the authorization of his secretary also means that he unscrupulous act was done with his consent. Likewise, as Garayblas is Lim’s subordinate, it is understandable that the mayor was informed about the transaction.

With the election just around the corner, political candidates are vigilant about their actions so as not get themselves involved with illegal activities. Considering that Mayor Alfredo Lim has long been a part of Manila’s local government, this just means that the people trust his leadership. However, the alleged illegal activity that he and his allies were involved with can affect the trust that the people have given him. Therefore, it would be best for these officials to clarify the surrounding issues in order to shed light to the questions of the public.

Mayor Alfredo Lim and some of his allies are facing graft charges for violating the falsification and malversation law after they allegedly conspire to forge receipts from Angel’s Burger House to procure government funds. Reynaldo Bagatsing presented several evidences against this Manila government anomaly, and called for the Ombudsman to place the officials under preventive suspension. Lim was involved in the lawsuit, as he was represented by his secretary Rafaelito Garayblas, who signed the false documents with his consent.

Mayor Alfredo Lim and Other Manila Officials Charged With Graft for Illegal Public Bidding

Last April 8, 2010, graft charges were filed against some of the members of Manila Bid and Award’s Committee along with the city’s mayor, Alfredo Lim. The charges were filed by Reynaldo Bagatsing after allegedly engaging in an unlawful public bidding for the rehabilitation of 15 schools in Manila. Bagatsing said that the bidding have benefited the involved officials. Bagatsing also believed that the bidding was especially disadvantageous to the local government of Manila as the participants in the illegal transaction manifested partiality, giving unwarranted benefits to the winning bidders.

Bagatsing immediately filed his complaint after obtaining an online copy of the bid notice abstract that came from the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement (PhilGEPS), which specifically concerns the rehabilitation of 15 Manila elementary schools. It is noteworthy, based from Bagatsing’s obtained bid notice, that the said invitation was posted last February 18, 2010, and on that same post also specified that interested bidders can submit their letters of intent from February 10-16, 2010″”dates that have already elapsed by the time the notice was posted. However, instead of openly accepting bids from other interested parties, it was well indicated in the attached document request list that three entities were already the preferred bidders. The said entities were ALE Builders Construction and Development Corporation, Diamond Head Construction/Supplies, and VITES Construction and Development Corporation.

Atty. Reynaldo Bagatsing, erstwhile friend and legal counsel of Lim, pointed out that the transaction was carried out with undue haste, tagging it as a bidding violation. The instant public bidding is notably an infringement of the Republic Act NO. 9184 (R.A. 9148) or Government Procurement Reform Act. From the overlapping dates of letter of intent submission and the publication of the notice, it cannot be denied that the transaction was rushed. As such, the actions taken by the participants was a discordance to the implementing rules of R.A. 9148.

Seven other Manila officials were pointed out to have played major roles in carrying out the scheme; most of whom are members of the Bids and Awards Committee. They are Atty. Rafaelito Garayblas, Atty. Renato Dela Cruz, Vicky Valientes, Leanie S. Sanding, Ma. Lourdes Manlulu, Alicia T. Moscaya and Thelma Perez. Because the Bids and Awards Committee knowingly continued the scheme despite it being illegal, they are held liable for violating Republic Act No. 3019 (R.A. 3019) or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices and Republic Act No. 6713 (R.A. 6713) commonly referred to as the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees. Mayor Alfredo Lim, who authorized the unscrupulous act to be carried out, is also liable for the same violations.

Accordingly, the rigging of this public bidding to repair and upgrade 15 elementary schools has cost the city of Manila P23,550,000.00. Bagatsing also lamented that by entering into this form of contract, the officials, who acted based on their best interest and gave preference toward their selected bidders chose to deprive the city and its people to save funds which could later on be used for other important projects. He also called for the Obudsman to have this issue examined extensively. As such, the justice due to the residents of Manila would be granted to them.

The instances presented clearly points out how local government projects can became an avenue for the perpetration of illegal activities. Although various laws are put in place in order to address these issues, there are still people who continuously participate in the perpetration of fraudulent activities. Hence, illegal acts become more difficult to resolve. In the long run, if this issue is left unattended, the political career of Mayor Alfredo Lim could be jeopardized.

Mayor Alfredo Lim, along with some of his colleagues in the Bid and Awards committee were charged with graft and corruption lawsuits following the anomalous bidding for the rehabilitation of 15 classrooms in the city of Manila. Atty. Reynaldo Bagatsing filed the charges, claiming that the transaction was a bidding violation, set to cost Manila P23,550,000.00. The charges against the officials were filed on April 8, 2010. Bagatsing requested the Ombudsman to take immediate action on the said complaint.

Alfredo Lim – The Fake EDSA 1 Hero

Alfredo Lim has been consistently receiving accolades and admiration for the role he played during the famed EDSA 1. The mayor of Manila, who is seeking reelection, has been making frivolous claims and false representations to bolster his image as a real EDSA 1 hero. Mayor Lim has enjoyed tremendous success in doing so as evident in the current status of his political career.However, as he succeeds in building up his reputation, he also continues to make misrepresentation of the facts.

Recorded events of old Manila watch will show us exactly the opposite of what Alfredo Lim has been claiming. The mayor of Manila has been building up his image for political purposes at the expense of another great unknown EDSA hero in Col. Jose H. Dawis.Dawis was the Chief of Police of Quezon City during EDSA 1 under the command of the then General Lim. Dawis knew very well how the former general acted during the height of EDSA1. However, his account of Lim’s participation in EDSA1 is still untold and misrepresented.

Colonel Dawis knew very well how General Lim acted like a coward during the height of demonstrations and protests.As Commanding General, Lim was not brave enough to confront the angry demonstrators and was cowardly hiding in small Antique shop in P. Tuazon the whole time laden with fear. He was so reluctant and afraid that he passed on the burden of controlling the crowd in EDSA to his personnel. Dawis remembered that it was General Lim who ordered him to disperse the crowd in EDSA at all cost upon the order of order of then President Ferdinand Marcos.

Colonel Dawis at that time only had a handful of 100 people under him when he was ordered by General Lim to disperse the crowd of more than 100,000 in EDSA. To make Colonel Dawis’ job more manageable, General Lim has promised him with additional 500 military men to help him in the dispersion of the crowd in EDSA. But Colonel Dawis was defiant. The brave Colonel stood on his principles and vehemently told Gen. Lim that he will not disperse the crowd who were just expressing their grievances peacefully.

The insubordination of Colonel Dawis has made General Lim enraged and fuming.He was completely furious with how Colonel Dawis responded and disobeyed his orders. As a response, General Lim started to speak angrily to Colonel Dawis who remained unfazed.Colonel Dawis followed his principles and defied the orders of his superior officer despite the threats of losing his job.

Former Senator Butch Aquino can attest to this claim since he and Colonel Dawis had developed a very good relationship. Colonel Dawis was very compassionate and accommodating to the opposition leaders and would allow them to protest peacefully in Quezon City.

This is a clear indication that the accolades and admiration that Alfredo Lim enjoys should be taken back away from him. Lim should not be bestowed with the recognition as one of the many real heroes of EDSA1 for the fact that he was never one.Lim is confusing the public into believing his false claims and misrepresentations of facts at the expense of another great and worthy hero. Colonel Dawis is the real EDSA1 hero and should be the one receiving all the necessary accolades and recognition, and not the person who desperately tries to build his self a reputation using nothing but lies.

The mayor of Manila, who is seeking reelection, has been making frivolous claims and false representation to bolster his image as a real EDSA one hero. Mayor Alfredo Lim has been erroneously receiving accolades and admiration and has in many ways succeeded in doing so as evident in the current status of his political career. On the contrary, Lim is using his frivolous claims and misrepresentations of facts at the expense of another great and worthy hero, Colonel Dawis.

Manila Jueteng Problem And Mayor Alfredo Lim

Illegal gambling has once again become rampant in this poverty-stricken city. The Manila Jueteng Problem is still alive and evident in the arrests of several people involved in the said illegal form of gambling. Manila mayor Alfredo Lim along MPD director Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Magtibay vowed that they will rid the city of illegal jueteng operators.Instead, there are intelligence reports that illegal jueteng operators are slowly resuming their activities in the city.

The recent arrests of several people are apparent evidences that the once eradicated Manila Jueteng Problem is still prospering.One of the major reasons why this illegal gambling problem has resurfaced is that police officers and city officials are involved in this trade.This illegal numbers game has the blessing of corrupt and unscrupulous policemen and city hall officials.In return for the protection extended, these protectors of jueteng are bribed with a portion of the profits generated from this illegal activity.

The inability of the police force to prosecute these people involved in Jueteng has further escalated the Manila Jueteng Problem. Many people who are involved in this illegal activity were able to elude arrests due to the influence of higher police officials and city hall personnel including the Mayor of Manila. Moreover, jueteng operators in the city have developed a way to avoid arresting police officials.Investigations revealed that jueteng lords in the city operate in a ‘kangaroo’ style and transfer from one place to another to avoid detection.

Jueteng operators in the city have also discovered some sort of resiliency in hiding their illegal operations. To avoid and mislead the city’s law enforcers, these jueteng collectors act as if they are soliciting bets for the government-sponsored EZ-2 lotto. Jueteng is almost similar to EZ-2 which is a legal numbers game launched by the government through the PCSO. Jueteng and EZ-2 are both using a winning two-number combination where bettors place their bets.

The only difference is that jueteng is drawn secretly and exists as an underground transaction. It is believed that the winning combination in jueteng is handpicked by the operator. Jueteng operators usually pick choose combinations with fewer bets to accumulate bigger profits.Meanwhile, EZ-2 is officially permitted and drawn live on TV.

Unless the city government under Mayor Alfredo Lim and Manila Police Department come clean and admit their involvement in this kind of illegal activity; the Manila Jueteng Problem will still remain unsolved. If Mayor Lim and Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Magtibay are serious in ridding the city of this kind of illegal activity, their action must start within their ranks. They should be hunting down protectors and big time jueteng lords instead of arresting small bet collectors.Moreover, the city government should study closely the real cause why this illegal numbers game even exists.

There are many reasons why the Manila jueteng problem has once again resurfaced as apparent in the arrests of several people involved in the said illegal form of gambling. The inability of the police force and Mayor of Manila Alfredo Lim to bring those people involved in Jueteng has further aggravated the problem. The reported involvement of police and city halls officials in the illegal activity has made it impossible to address this problem.

Alfredo Lim: Uncovering The Mayor’s Dark Side

Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim has been popularly known as the city’s version of John Wayne, Django Kojak and Dirty Harry.The former Western Police District (WPD) head and former Director of the NBI has received countless accolades and recognition for what he was able to achieve during his stint as police officer. The media has been constantly portraying Lim as a no-nonsense, honest to goodness police officer. Moreover, Lim is now considered as a hero of Manila and admired for his courage and devotion to duty for his beloved city.

It is a sad reality that many people have believed these kinds of stories that were created and written by Alfredo Lim for his own personal gain.Lim has had success his manipulation of the media which has helped him in building an outstanding reputation as a former police officer. Many people have believed that Manila’s most outstanding policeman’s rise to power is a product of years of dedication and hard work. The real story behind this fancied Manila Mayor and former MPD chief remains untold which is part of the reason why he still enjoys popularity and recognition among Manilenos.

Not too many people are aware of the dark side of Mayor Lim due to his constant manipulation of the media during his tenure in the MPD. Lim’s well-documented exploits and heroics were creations made by his media friends.With the help of the media sympathetic to him, Alfredo Lim’s dark side were effectively hidden and remained unexposed for many years.Whereas, what was supposed to be written about him was exactly the opposite of what has been touted by the media quarters.

There exist untold stories which can give us the truthful side of this former police chief. Lim’s career as a police officer is exactly the opposite of what the media has been telling us for many years. Alfredo Lim was once a dirty cop. Lim’s stint as a police officer was tainted with reported cases of corruption, utter disregard for the law, abuse of authority and human rights violations including “salvaging,” shady deals and a reign of terror, all perpetrated by Lim and his cohorts.

Alfredo Lim was a master of manipulations as revealed by his comrades in uniform. Lim was an expert and knew many ways of soliciting loyalty and support from his colleagues and subordinates in the police force. He worked his way and manipulated his subordinates to get their support for his personal gain and promotion.His manipulative nature has also helped him in covering up his misdeeds and his affiliation to a number of syndicates and illegal activities. Lim is widely known as a patron of Manila’s drug lords and smugglers. The former MPD chief is closely identified with one of the most powerful drug lords in Manila.Lim has been extending protection to numerous drug lords of the city including his friend Manuel Velasco, the leader of a big drug syndicate at Binondo; and even his nephew, certain Maynard Limcangco Siojo. Aside from illegal drugs, Lim is also involved in protecting big-time smugglers and smuggling syndicates.

Alfredo Lim was successful in hiding all his wrongful acts and misdeed he has done during his stint in as police chief. The media has been constantly portraying Lim as a no-nonsense; honest to goodness police officer. The dark side of Mayor Lim continues to be untold and remained uncovered. The Manila Mayor’s success in portraying himself as an outstanding police officer is nothing but a product of his ability to manipulate media. The Manila Mayor‘s success in portraying himself as an outstanding police officer is nothing but a product of his ability to manipulate media. Alfredo Lim was successful in hiding all his wrongful acts and misdeed he has done during his stint in as police chief. The media has been constantly portraying Lim as a no-nonsense; honest to goodness police officer. Meanwhile, the dark side of Mayor Lim continues to be untold and remained uncovered.

Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim: How He Failed In Running The City

The nation’s capital which was once recognized as The Pearl of the Orient Seas, suffered from further deterioration and decay under the government of Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim.As city mayor, Lim has completely negated all the growth and development gained by the city under the leadership of his predecessor. Since he took helm, the city has experienced severe blows to its dream of becoming a premiere and world class city. Moreover, a lot of impoverished Manilenos suffered under the city government’s incapacity in delivering basic social needs.

The failures of governance in Manila are clearer than ever as the city degenerates at a faster pace.Just by simply walking around Manila’s streets we can get an idea on how the present administration had become insensible and ignorant of the city’s needs.It is no doubt why Manila has been left behind by other Asian cities like Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur in all aspects. For a person who loves the city so much, it causes too much pain to accept the fact that the once mighty and lovely city has turned into a complete mess and cesspool. We do not have to go beyond things on finding who’s to blame on the deterioration of our beloved nation’s capital.No one is more accountable for the failures of governance in Manila than Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim. The present mayor along with his administration failed miserably in governing the city as a result of their complete abandonment and negation of what was successfully started by their predecessors. Instead of sustaining what was started by the former mayor; Lim started a new policy and form of governance much to the dismay of the already prospering city residents.

Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim and the city’s incapability to act swiftly during emergency situations and tragedies was clearly evident during the recent fire that razed the old downtown Manila. The crowded shantytown was burned down completely and almost 3,000 families lost their homes. The incident further exposed the city government’s poor evacuation and relocation capabilities as three thousand families were left struggling on finding a new place for shelter. Instead of giving priority to the welfare of the fire victims, the city government was too busy in trying to sell the area to a property developer.

Under Alfredo Lim, a former police officer himself, Manila’s peace and order situation degenerated as evident in the record-high levels of crime in the city. The streets of Manila are still haven to some of the most notorious pickpockets and holdup artists. In terms of infrastructure, the city still lacks the necessary infrastructure it needs to improve navigation and travel within the city. The city’s streets are still filled with all sorts of pollution and traffic flow is chaotic.

The present mayor also failed to provide housing programs that could have benefited thousands of homeless people inhabiting almost every city street. Mayor Lim also promised to support any measure that would call for the removal of the oil depot in Pandacan but when the measure was passed, he acted the other way. There is a lack of an economic plan dedicated on uplifting the lives and providing the poor with employment and livelihood opportunities. Public hospitals of the city are seeking for new medical equipment and medical supplies, and there is a shortage of medical facilities to which Manilenos could run into when needed.It was also during Lim’s tenure that the beautification of Manila was stopped as evident in the now stinking Luneta Park and dimmed Avenida Rizal.Manila stinks just like its esteros and streets.

Despite all of these failures of governance in Manila, Alfredo Lim is still seeking reelection in this forthcoming Manila Election. Lim is again claiming several unnoticed achievements he made during his tenure as city mayor. As he goes through with his campaign, Lim is again making promises to fulfill, though much of his previous promises were not fulfilled. Let’s just hope that the Manilenos can realize what it was like before Alfredo Lim.

Manila further deteriorated and decayed under the administration of Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim. No one is more accountable for the failures of governance in Manila more than Mayor Alfredo Lim. As city mayor, Lim has completely negated all the growth and development gained by the city under the leadership of his predecessors. The present mayor failed miserably in running the city as he completely abandoned and negated what was successfully started by his predecessors.

Alfredo Lim: The Truth Behind EDSA1

Alfredo Lim has been consistently receiving accolades and admiration for the role he played during the famed EDSA 1. The mayor of Manila, who is running for reelection, has been stating false claims and wrong representation to solidify his image as a real EDSA 1 hero.Mayor Lim has enjoyed tremendous success in doing so as evident in the current status of his political career.However, as he succeeds in building up his reputation, he also continues to make misrepresentation of the facts.

Recorded events of old Manila watch will tell us exactly the opposite of what Alfredo Lim has been telling us. The mayor of Manila has been building up his image for political purposes at the expense of another great unknown EDSA hero in Col. Jose H. Dawis.Dawis was the Chief of Police of Quezon City during EDSA 1 under the command of the then General Lim. Dawis is witness to how the former general acted during the height of EDSA1. However, his account of Lim’s participation in EDSA1 continues to be untold and misrepresented.

Colonel Dawis witnessed how General Lim acted like a coward during the height of demonstrations and protests. As Commanding General, Lim was not brave enough to confront the angry demonstrators and was cowardly hiding in small Antique shop in P. Tuazon the whole time laden with fear. He was very hesitant and fearful that he passed on the burden of controlling the crowd in EDSA to his personnel.Dawis recalled that it was General Lim who ordered him to disperse the crowd in EDSA at all cost upon the order of order of then President Ferdinand Marcos.

Colonel Dawis during that time only had a handful of 100 people under his command when he was ordered by General Lim to disperse the crowd of more than 100,000 in EDSA. To help Colonel Dawis’ in his job, General Lim has promised him with additional 500 military men to help him in the dispersion of the crowd in EDSA.But Colonel Dawis was rebellious. The brave Colonel defied Gen. Lim’s orders and told him that he will not disperse the crowd who were just expressing their grievances peacefully.

The insubordination of Colonel Dawis has made General Lim enraged and fuming.He was angered with how Colonel Dawis responded and disobeyed his orders.As a response, General Lim started to speak angrily to Colonel Dawis who remained unfazed.Colonel Dawis stuck to his principles and did not follow the orders of his superior officer despite the threats of losing his job.

Former Senator Butch Aquino can prove this claim since he and Colonel Dawis had developed a very good relationship.Colonel Dawis was very considerate and warm to the opposition leaders and would allow them to protest peacefully in Quezon City.

This is a clear suggestion that the accolades and admiration that Alfredo Lim enjoys should be withdrawn from him.Lim should not be bestowed with the recognition as one of the many real heroes of EDSA1 for the fact that he was never one.Lim is misleading the public into believing his frivolous claims and misrepresentations of facts at the expense of another great and worthy hero. Colonel Dawis is the real EDSA1 hero and should be endowed with the necessary accolades and recognition, and not the person who desperately tries to build his self a reputation using nothing but lies.

The mayor of Manila, who is seeking reelection, has been making frivolous claims and false representation to bolster his image as a real EDSA one hero. Mayor Alfredo Lim has been erroneously receiving accolades and admiration and has in many ways succeeded in doing so as evident in the current status of his political career. On the contrary, Lim is using his frivolous claims and misrepresentations of facts at the expense of another great and worthy hero, Colonel Dawis.

-Julius Arante

Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim Faces Graft Charges For Sale Of Century Park Hotel

Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim and Vice Mayor Isko Moreno is facing graft charges before the Office of the Ombudsman for their alleged involvement in the fraudulent bidding and sale of the Century Park Hotel at a bargain price of P 1 Billion. Lim and Moreno alongside 20 councilors, four other city officials and four John Does are also facing graft charges in a 26-page complaint filed by former legal adviser of Lim and close friend Atty. Reynaldo L. Bagatsing.The complaint is calling for the immediate nullification of the said anomalous transaction and the appropriate punishment for the perpetrators involved.

Bagatsing has expressed his deep concern about that the transaction which he sees as manifestly and grossly disadvantageous to the City of Manila as the city is set to lose almost P2 billion. The five-star Century Park Hotel is currently sited on a 4.5 hectare prime property which could have given the city government with at least P3 billion in sales.Instead, the city government has awarded the prime property at a bargain price of P1 billion, a far cry from what should have been its original price.It was claimed by Bagatsing that Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim and Vice Mayor Isko Moreno has worked for the transaction to take place for the benefit of the mayor’s ally in Lucio Tan.

The documents obtained by Bagatsing from the City Assessor’s Office shows that the land occupied by the hotel was inexplicably reduced to an area of 22, 967 square meters and worth P 965,261,850 or almost P1 billion. The price of which the land was sold was not based on the current zonal valuation of the land as directed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue.In reference to the BIR’s appraisal, the current value and selling price of prime properties in the Malate-Ermita district ranges from P 50,000 to P 80,000 per square meter.Using the current valuation, the land should have been sold for about P3 billion.

The land was sold to the alleged winning bidder, Maranaw Hotels and Resort Corporation, the owner of Century Park Hotel. The corporation is publicly listed under the name of business tycoon Lucio Tan, a known ally of Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim. In 2003, Tan’s firm gained the rights to operate the hotel in 2003 from Tourist Trade and Travel Corporation of the Martel family. Maranaw Hotels and Resort Corporation, the current hotel’s operator, submitted a P1 billion bid and was later given with the right to the land.It is believed that Lim may have played a hand in the said anomalous transaction due to his closeness to Tan.

It was believed that the city council composed of 20 councilors have given Lim the authority to negotiate the sale of the hotel through City Council Resolution No. 176 adopted on August 5, 2008.The city council has also affirmed and ratified the award and sale to Tan’s firm through Resolution No. 278 approved on December 23, 2008. The said transaction also took place in complete haste, in only a span of five months after Lim was granted authority to negotiate the sale. To make sure that the anomalous transactions will not be uncovered, the Committee on Bid and Award issued and published erratic and false notice of auction in the in the Philippine Star.

All the evidences gathered and collected are clear indications that there had been an attempt to reduce the price tag for the said property which clearly makes this transaction a sweetheart deal. The deal has benefited an ally of Mayor Lim and has betrayed the city’s taxpayers and residents. The involvement of Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim in this fraudulent transaction is a clear indication of abuse of authority and power, and a clear betrayal of the public’s interest. The Ombudsman on its part must look carefully in this case and bring all the people involved to justice.

Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim and Vice Mayor Isko Moreno are facing graft charges before the Office of the Ombudsman for their alleged involvement in the fraudulent bidding and sale of the Century Park Hotel at a bargain price of P 1billion. The involvement of the Mayor of Manila in the said anomalous transaction is a clear indication of abuse of authority and power, and a clear betrayal of the public’s interest.

-Julius Arante