A press release last week from the Provincial Information Office slugged “Province’s RPT Collection reaches P209-M record” stated:
Breakdown for the RPT collections is as
follows:
Apalit – P18,990,621.58;
Arayat – P7,890,864.96;
Bacolor – P12,546,531.56;
Candaba – P6,428,919.80;
Floridablanca – P8,981,665.50;
Guagua – P13,712,721.52;
Lubao – P20,442,290.28;
Mabalacat – P899,819.72;
Macabebe – P2,694,423.28;
Magalang – P3,119,937.94;
Masantol – P4,025,032.58;
Mexico – P1,842,708.58;
Minalin – P7,613,718.54;
Porac – P20,320,024.72;
San Luis – P2,452,573.86;
San Simon – P11,304,394;
Sta. Ana – P1,436,099.70;
Sta. Rita – P5,574,575.32;
Sto. Tomas – P4,966,381.26 and
Sasmuan – P3,753,602.46.
No, Punto! did not publish the story but Sun- Star Pampanga and Headline Gitnang Luzon did, on the same day, Feb. 9.
What we did was editorialize it – finding issue with massive Mabalacat’s puny P899,819.72 and mega Mexico’s little P1,842,708.58 as compared to Lilliputian Sto. Tomas’ grand P4,966,381.26.
Alas, Mexico’s total in the press release is short of a whopping P30 million, based on the list we asked the PIO to provide us in the wake of a rejoinder, in the form of a press release, sent to the media by the Mabalacat City LGU.
Yes, we fell for the “official” press release from the PIO without any due diligence taken on the source of the story, of the facts and figures, specifically.
As we do not, indeed, we cannot, rationalize errors, we just have to do what’s right and proper: We apologize to the Municipality of Mexico for this lapse. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. Micasala cami, micasala cami, micasala kaming bina. And do the proper correction: the correct story, With P31.842-M Mexico tops RPT collections in 2014 properly on Page 1 in this issue.
It’s a totally different case with the Mabalacat City figures.
Only P899,819.72 read the PIO press release of Feb. 9.
On Feb. 14, finding print in both SSP and HGL, is the story headlined Mabalacat RPT shares reach over P30-M in 2014, to wit:
MABALACAT CITY — The City Government of Mabalacat has clarified that its Real PropertyTax (RPT) shares last year was recorded at P30,293,474.06.
Mayor Marino “Boking” Morales denied reports that only some P899,819 had been remitted to the provincial coffer in 2014.
Based on the report of Mabalacat City Treasurer Marlene Mendiola, the actual RPT Fund – Disposition of Proceeds for 2014 reached over P30 million last year.
The city shares is recorded at P21,205,431.86 while the barangay shares is P9,088,042.20.
With over P30 million in RPT shares, Morales said that Mabalacat City is the biggest contributor to the RPT Proceeds among cities and municipalities in Pampanga province.
NO, not even with over P30 million in RPT shares – if this is indeed true – Mabalacat City cannot lay claim to being “the biggest contributor to the RPT proceeds” among LGUs in Pampanga. That’s Mexico’s, by documented proof.
And yes, the PIO stands by its story that the so-called Makati North of Manila indeed remitted only P899,819.72.
PIO In-charge Joel Mapiles was reported in HGL to have verified the data himself from the Provincial Treasurer’s Office, and quoted as saying: “Vinerify ko iyan. Iyon talaga ang nakareflect.”
The difference of P29,393,654.34 between what the Mabalacat City LGU says and what the PIO holds is a whale of a difference warranting some inquiry at the least, a full blown investigation at the most.
Consider the number of scholarships, feeding programs, medicines and hospital equipment, infra, productivity and livelihood projects that P29 million could have funded.
Come to think of it, Morales’ City does look tangled in some game of numbers lately.
Central Luzon Daily bannered on Feb. 13 Indian bizmen taboo in Mabalacat City? reporting: Indian traders engaged in lending are seemingly unwelcome visitors here as they are fast becoming favourite targets by criminal groups believed involved in the recent murder, kidnapping and robbery hold-up cases in this city involving the foreign businessmen.
The story cited the failed assassination try on one Karnail Singh, kidnapping of one Archie Lubaya Ram, shooting death of one Jodh Singh and wounding of his companion, one Sat Nam Singh – all reportedly engaged in money lending.
So where are the numbers there?
In the nature of their business, dummy.
