Cayetano camp accuses Tiñga of anomalous deals

MANILA, Philippines – The camp of Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano yesterday held former Taguig mayor and now Rep. Sigfrido Tiñga responsible for the alleged anomalies and “midnight” collections found in an ongoing audit by the mayor’s office.

“Tiñga… left office with a collection of midnight donations and anomalies that he sought to cover up with a demolition job on Mayor Lani,” Cayetano spokesman Darwin Icay said in a statement.

He accused Tiñga of awarding contracts to a few preferred companies between 2008 and 2010, and warned that the former mayor should expect a “hailstorm” of charges once the audit is concluded.

Icay said that ATI, TIM, Grafidata were awarded contracts to set up and run the entire information technology infrastructure of the Taguig City government during Tiñga’s administration.

“The scope of the contracts included computers, broadband connection, (closed-circuit television) cameras, a PABX (system), communication system and personnel. But the audit shows that these are no longer operational and or simply undelivered, thus ghost projects,” Icay said.

He said the company Blue Media reportedly collected as much as P238 million on an integrated information technology-security deal; sister firms ATI and TIM received P151 million; and Grafidata, P30 million.

Icay also alleged that IPM Corp. has received P500 million for hauling garbage, another contract for burial and funeral services, and a P500-million deal to develop a portion of the Heritage Park given to Taguig. “It is also amazing that all the excavation projects at The Fort went to this same company,” he said.

He also said they have taken steps to “recover vehicles, equipment and even property which we deemed as missing from the actual inventory or are in the possession of unauthorized personalities.”

Icay said Cayetano has also ordered an investigation into Tiñga’s alleged special projects fund of P326 million, of which only P7 million is left.

He said Tiñga allegedly paid for P70 million in packed snacks and P15 million worth of cellphone cards from the fund one month before the May 10 polls.