Lapu-Lapu City attorney recognized

CEBU, Philippines -  Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza gave a “a plaque of merit” to City lawyer Yuri Beluan yesterday after he refused to accept a box filled with cash that came from a businesswoman whose building permit was denied early this year.

 Radaza presented Beluan to the media in a press conference to recognize the latter’s initiative in standing firm on his principles.

 “I want to institutiona-lize good governance and accountability in City Hall,” Radaza said.

 A businesswoman gave a letter to the mayor around September 15 expressing gratitude for the reconsideration she received in her application for a building permit in Sitio Masulog, Barangay Basak.  The application was earlier denied and the businesswoman tried to give money to Beluan du-ring the second time she applied for the building permit.

 “When I felt desperate on the difficulty of getting the building permit, I followed what my friends told me that if I would give some amount of money, I could immediately get the building permit,” the letter said.

 The businesswoman said in her letter that she inserted an envelope with a ‘thousand bucks’ in a box of polvoron that was wrapped as a ‘gift.’

 She added that when she went to his office, Beluan frankly told her that he does not accept bribes and instead assured that he would do anything ‘in the right way’ to help in the issuance of her building permit.

 “He advised me to refrain from giving gifts to government employees,” the letter added.

 Beluan, for his part, narrated that when the businesswoman initially applied for a permit, the area where her building was to be located was inspected by engineering staff of the city.

However, a violation was seen. The second application for a business permit was approved after the violation was corrected.  

The businesswoman, through her letter, also congratulated Radaza for the efficient management of the City Hall.

 “It was also worth mentioning here that the electrical inspector from your office was kind enough to refuse to accept the P500 that I offered to give as ‘pang-kape’ when he came to inspect my place in May 2014,” she added.

 Radaza added that these are the initiatives that her administration started under the principle of servant leadership.  (FREEMAN)