Masangkay, Fresnedi trade barbs

Muntinlupa City mayoralty candidate Elizabeth "Ate Bess" Masangkay blamed her opponent, incumbent Mayor Jaime Fresnedi, for the alleged underdevelopment and lack of progress in the city.

Masangkay said Fresnedi’s poor governance and rampant cronyism in his administration were the causes why Muntinlupa failed to maximize its potential for progress despite its huge annual budget.

Masangkay, running under the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino, claimed that a small circle of favored contractors had cornered the city’s lucrative infrastructure projects worth hundreds of millions of pesos.

But Fresnedi laughed off Masangkay’s charges, saying she was again spreading lies to paint a false picture of the city. The mayor cited the fact that the business sector, represented by the Muntinlupa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), had continually voiced its appreciation and approval of his administration’s projects and accomplishments.

The mayor said MCCI president Delia Jimenez, the vice president for manufacturing operations of Adamson & Adamson, recently lauded the city’s business policies that was described as very helpful and encouraging business activities.

Fresnedi is running for reelection under the Lakas-NUCD-People’s Power II Coalition.

According to Masangkay, the city’s budget was ill-planned.

Masangkay, a successful businesswoman and top-notch accountant, said the infrastructure budget amounted to a small 3.3 percent of the city’s P1.05 billion budget while the capital outlay amounted to only 2.5 percent of last year’s 978 million annual budget.

"This glaring lack of accomplishment betrays an abject lack of vision and ability to lead, which in turn, explains the underdevelopment and lack of progress in Muntinlupa, Masangkay said.

Masangkay, a sister of Las Piñas City Mayor Vergel "Nene" Aguilar, cited the case of neighboring Las Piñas which, despite its small P600 million annual budget, was able to accomplish much and has provided free hospitalization to all its residents, distributed lands to 24,000 families, provided free college education, established modern public school buildings, health and day care centers, and won the award for cleanest and greenest city in Metro Manila for three consecutive years (1997-1999).

Masangkay said that if voted mayor, she will duplicate the accomplishments of her brother Vergel in Muntinlupa and end graft and corruption in the Muntinlupa City hall.