Residents file formal complaint over ‘sale’ of donated chicken

CEBU, Philippines —  The case of the missing donated chicken turns out to be far from being closed as some residents of Sitio Ascension, Barangay Sambag 1, Cebu City have filed a complaint against public officials supposedly involved in the irregular sale of what were supposed to be free chicken meat.

Signed by a certain Marco Licinio “Bebot” Flores Gingoyon, the letter complaint dated June 25, 2020 was addressed to Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella.

The letter was received by the Office of the City Mayor on July 13, 2020 and copy of which was also received by the Office of the Ombudsman on July 22, 2020.

Gingoyon narrated that sometime in May, the residents in their barangay were told that Cebu City Councilor Eduardo Rama was into chicken supply or distribution business and that he wanted to help residents in the midst of coronavirus pandemic by selling chicken meat at a cheap price.

The dressed chicken was reportedly sold at P120 apiece which was actually just a little lower than the retail price in the market.

“Never before, during, and immediately after the distribution and sale in question was a public pronouncement made, either by Rama or other government officials entrusted with the donation, that a Thai corporation donated thousands of dressed chickens to barangay residents in the city to help them cope with the COVID-19 crisis. Apparently, the donation of the goods lacked public transparency, if not totally shrouded with secrecy,” read the letter.

Gingoyon claimed that they only came to know of the anomaly when the issue broke out recently, compelling Rama to publicly reveal that the dressed chicken distributed in the city barangays were donated by a Thai corporation.

However, Gingoyon said Rama did not reveal in his public declaration that the donated goods were not given free, but sold to the recipients.

“Considering that the offer to sell, and actual sale of the Thai-donated dressed chicken a week after the offer, had at the time already become a public knowledge, Councilor Rama and other officials responsible could have not played blind and ignorant of the irregularity. By their act or omission, they wittingly or unwittingly participated in the commission of the crime,” the letter read further.

The residents-complainants are calling for a thorough investigation into the matter.

Politicking?

Reacting to the complaint, Rama said that claim is politically motivated and libelous.

“Sambag 1 was not included in the list of nine barangays that the donation was distributed to,” Rama told The FREEMAN.

Rama added that residents were confused since separate donations were coursed through the Liga ng mga Barangay (LnB) in Cebu City.

Association of Barangay Councils President Franklyn Ong earlier confirmed that the Liga ng mga Barangay received 20,000 live chickens from the Thailand-based food company and were distributed to the city’s 80 barangays.

Councilor Joy Augustus Young also raised that donated dressed chickens were allegedly sold to residents, instead of distributed as aid.

Young claimed that the food company donated 17,000 dressed chickens, and that certain barangay entities employed by City Hall allegedly began selling chicken meat to residents.

Ong cleared out that the donated chickens Young referred to were not ones the LnB received from the food company.  JMD (FREEMAN)