PNRC, Tarlac in row over P1.5M aid

TARLAC CITY — The city government here and the Philippine National Red Cross‚ provincial chapter are now locked in a bitter controversy involving a P1.5-million financial aid to the humanitarian group and allegations of blackmail.

The dispute between the city officials and PNRC-Tarlac administrator, Luciano Paras Jr., was reportedly spawned by Mayor Genaro Mendoza’s "much delayed action" in releasing the city government’s financial aid to the organization, which has been programmed by its board of directors to be used for the purchase of a refrigerated centrifuge.

But in a scathing speech delivered by Councilor Tess Cabal during the regular session of the city council, Paras was accused of spreading rumors that elected city officials have been concertedly delaying the release of the aid in exchange for grease money.

Cabal claimed that in an informal meeting with some of PNRC-Tarlac’s board of directors, Paras intimated that the city councilors have allegedly demanded P25,000 each in exchange for the release of the money, and that a member of the city council was allegedly brokering the deal. — Benjie Villa