Mary Ann to columnist: Name names

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Medical Center ad hoc committee chief Councilor Mary Ann Delos Santos has challenged a local newspaper columnist to divulge the personalities involved in receiving P2.5 million from a Manila-based contractor that wanted to obtain the scrap metal from the demolished hospital.

“If you are privy to somebody receiving money, I challenge you to come out in the open, come to the city council, take the podium and deliver your privilege speech and name names if you are a witness of changing of hands in terms of money rather than dragging the whole city government and this administrative,” she said.

“The person writing the column is unfounded and uncalled for. If you are a responsible writer, you will not be writing like that. That’s beyond ethical standard and moral bounds already and that’s an insinuation of irresponsible journalist,” Delos Santos further retorted.

Delos Santos said the scrap metal and other building materials retrieved from the demolished CCMC hospital were already “unserviceable,” as duly signed by Commission on Audit inspectors.

A columnist from another newspaper wrote that businessmen from Manila offered a city official P2.5 million to allow them to demolish the old city hospital and in return, obtain the scrap metal.

Delos Santos showed various documents to the media yesterday presenting the permits, memoranda, inspection appraisal report, and accomplishment report, among others.

“All CCMC transactions are supported by documents, demolition and inspection permits and signed by COA. There’s nothing here, there is no money involved and wala’y gikawat,” she pointed out.

Department of Engineering and Public Works chief Jose Marie Poblete said that the scrap materials have “zero value.”

“Zero ang salvage value sa mga materials. Di naman magamit ang mga gagmay na kabilya. On the part of the contractor, the scrap serves as compensation,” he said over a local television station.

Delos Santos said the city has tapped a contractor under private-public partnership as an “industrial partner.”

“Wa mi nibayad sa gasoline, manpower equipment. They are considered industrial partner. This is very well encouraged,” the councilor said.

Meanwhile, although it did not confirm that it will conduct an investigation into the alleged anomaly in the disposal of scrap metal of the demolished CCMC building, the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas said it can investigate if there are pieces of evidence.

Lawyer Maria Corazon Naraja, information officer, said the anti-graft office can investigate with or without a formal complaint being filed as long as there is a “verifiable lead.”

She said their office can also investigate reports from government agencies and from the media.

The City Council has earlier requested the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas to investigate the alleged anomaly.  (FREEMAN)