The recurring issue leveled against Procurement Officer Dionisio “Jun” Magbalot of the Local Government of Mabalacat has cropped up anew and this time he had been vilified for the nth time with regards to his alleged controversial transactions in the town.
I have learned that Magbalot has already tendered his irrevocable resignation last month but for no apparent reason he’s still at the Mabalacat Municipal Hall and could not get himself to leave his comfort zone. Why leave when Magbalot apparently has the juicy position in the Municipality of Mabalacat? As Procurement Officer, Magbalot could easily make moolah through negotiated contracts or dealings with suppliers. Who says Magbalot is involved in tongpats? Not me.
No wonder why Magbalot could have allegedly bought a big house and several vehicles although I am not saying here that he squandered millions of pesos. Isn’t it Magbalot who released a million peso to a former public official in Mabalacat by simply affixing his signature on a piece of paper? Well, you can fool the people all the time, but not all the people all the time. Right, Mr. Deng?
A few days past, the indignant Deng Pangilinan, a batchmate-turned-critic have called for the resignation of Magbalot over charges of corruption and ineptitude.
Pangilinan has earlier lodged a complaint before the Sangguniang Bayan of Mabalacat urging the body to investigate Magbalot and other department heads who recently went on a four-day “junket” trip to Bangkok, Thailand. But again for still unknown reasons, the Mabalacat SB had only deaf ears, blind eyes and muffled mouths. Why so? I have learned that some members of the SB had recently embarked on a tour to an Asian country. So there goes.
Alone in the wilderness, Pangilinan urged the Mabalacat SB to conduct an impartial probe into the alleged highly questionable overseas trip of Mabalacat department heads led by Magbalot.
At least 40 municipal workers and their respective families including a baby of Magbalot’s alleged boyfriend – a certain “Ambo” — had reportedly joined the ‘fake’ trade mission to Bangkok. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in the City of San Fernando has openly denied having invited the Local Government of Mabalacat noting that they could not simply invited all the department heads and their families that include an innocent baby.
The DTI clarified that they can only invite the Mayor and vice mayor or any of the councilor to a trade mission.
Says Pangilinan: “Sinayang po nila ang pera ng Mabalacat at hindi po natin ito papayagan sapagkat mayroon pong austerity measure ang ating Pangulong Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.”
“Saan po kayo makakakita na pati ang mga paslit na sanggol ay sinasama sa mga trade mission kuno,” said Pangilinan. “Hindi napo natin mapapalampas ito.”
Pangilinan is also contemplating on filing a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman and the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission against Magbalot and the department heads. Pangilinan should make good his intention to file a complaint before the Ombudsman because I believed this would settle everything once and for all as the Mabalacat SB remains blindsided with the glaring issue before them. Monkey see, monkey do.
