ANGELES CITY – Members of the minority bloc led by Vice Mayor Vicky Vega-Cabigting yesterday filed a plunder case against Mayor Francis “Blueboy” Nepomuceno before the Office of the Ombudsman in Quezon City in connection with the purchase of a P98-million lot in Barangay Mining where the controversial P681-million sports complex is being built.
In a statement, Cabigting and Councilors Maricel Morales, Ruben Maniago, Willie Rivera and Jay Sangil said they filed the case at about 2:00 p.m. against Nepomuceno and City Administrator Mark Allen Sison for “having bought a 5-hectare lot worth P98 million in Barangay Mining without a council resolution and ratification authorizing the mayor to purchase the said land to the detriment of the Angeles residents.”
“It is contrary to law,” they added.
Rivera also cited that the lot could be “overpriced,” disclosing that its zonal value is only about P12 million.
“It’s an agricultural area on a remote place. Maybe we can accept its price if it is along McArthur highway,” Rivera said.
Morales, for her part, said “the truth must come and this filing of charges against the mayor shows we mean business and not merely playing politics.”
Earlier, Sison said the sports complex project was done aboveboard. He added that banks had been racing to get a slice of the loan indicating that the project is “of great interest.”
Sison said that they had made feasibility study before making the project as it will earn income for the city.
“We will rent it out. It will not be all for free,” he added. He disclosed that the facility will have a 4,000-seat gym, multi-purpose hall, 2,000-seating capacity grandstand, oval, Olympic swimming pool, two basketball courts, two volleyball courts and two sepak takraw courts and parking spaces, among others.
Meanwhile, most residents here interviewed by Punto also said the money used for the purchase of the lot could have been used to “other urgent and important needs of the Angeleños.
“Ang P98-milyon na pinangbili ng lupa para sa sports complex ni Mayor Blue ay katumbas ng: Tuition at stipend sa libro, pagkain at pamasahe sa 4 taon para sa 8,166 mag-aaral sa kolehiyo; 1,306 na low cost housing units; 653 public school classrooms; isang taong sweldo at bonus ng 502 public school teachers; libreng ospitalisasyon para sa 3,192 mahihirap; bakuna sa isang taon para sa mahigit 39,200 sanggol; 5,297,297 kilos o 105,946 cavans ng bigas,” they said.
Earlier, at least 22 village chiefs here have opposed the plan of the city government to build a P681-million sports complex through a loan.
In a Liga ng Mga Barangay Resolution approved by the majority of the 33 village chiefs here, they said “securing a huge loan of P681M, almost the annual budget of the city, to construct a city sports complex that is a seasonal infrastructure project, will not redound to the direct and lasting benefit of the poor, disadvantaged and marginalized citizenry.”
In a statement, Cabigting and Councilors Maricel Morales, Ruben Maniago, Willie Rivera and Jay Sangil said they filed the case at about 2:00 p.m. against Nepomuceno and City Administrator Mark Allen Sison for “having bought a 5-hectare lot worth P98 million in Barangay Mining without a council resolution and ratification authorizing the mayor to purchase the said land to the detriment of the Angeles residents.”
“It is contrary to law,” they added.
Rivera also cited that the lot could be “overpriced,” disclosing that its zonal value is only about P12 million.
“It’s an agricultural area on a remote place. Maybe we can accept its price if it is along McArthur highway,” Rivera said.
Morales, for her part, said “the truth must come and this filing of charges against the mayor shows we mean business and not merely playing politics.”
Earlier, Sison said the sports complex project was done aboveboard. He added that banks had been racing to get a slice of the loan indicating that the project is “of great interest.”
Sison said that they had made feasibility study before making the project as it will earn income for the city.
“We will rent it out. It will not be all for free,” he added. He disclosed that the facility will have a 4,000-seat gym, multi-purpose hall, 2,000-seating capacity grandstand, oval, Olympic swimming pool, two basketball courts, two volleyball courts and two sepak takraw courts and parking spaces, among others.
Meanwhile, most residents here interviewed by Punto also said the money used for the purchase of the lot could have been used to “other urgent and important needs of the Angeleños.
“Ang P98-milyon na pinangbili ng lupa para sa sports complex ni Mayor Blue ay katumbas ng: Tuition at stipend sa libro, pagkain at pamasahe sa 4 taon para sa 8,166 mag-aaral sa kolehiyo; 1,306 na low cost housing units; 653 public school classrooms; isang taong sweldo at bonus ng 502 public school teachers; libreng ospitalisasyon para sa 3,192 mahihirap; bakuna sa isang taon para sa mahigit 39,200 sanggol; 5,297,297 kilos o 105,946 cavans ng bigas,” they said.
Earlier, at least 22 village chiefs here have opposed the plan of the city government to build a P681-million sports complex through a loan.
In a Liga ng Mga Barangay Resolution approved by the majority of the 33 village chiefs here, they said “securing a huge loan of P681M, almost the annual budget of the city, to construct a city sports complex that is a seasonal infrastructure project, will not redound to the direct and lasting benefit of the poor, disadvantaged and marginalized citizenry.”
