Abang Lingkod Partylist Rep. Joseph Stephen “Caraps” Paduano
Paduano: House to deepen probe into anomalous land deals
THE chair of the House Committee on Public Accounts has vowed to deepen the panel’s investigation into several anomalous land transactions entered into by local government executives of many municipalities all over the country.
Abang Lingkod Party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen “Caraps” Paduano said the committee unearthed many alleged irregularities and anomalies in several real estate transactions in San Simon, Pampanga where requirements of many laws were not followed.
“Kaya dito nagkaproblema ang San Simon. Madami ding bayan ang gumagawa nito kaya natin iniimbestigahan. You are not following the laws of the land. The necessary requirements should be complied with,” Paduano told LGU officials in San Simon, Pampanga, most of whom are currently suspended, during his panel hearing Wednesday.
“Kailangan palalimin natin ito because we cannot allow these things to happen in these municipalities in Pampanga and even in other parts of the country. Dito lang muna tayo magsimula. But sooner or later, we will take a look at municipalities in other provinces and regions, papa-imbestigahan natin yan,” he added.
The committee is investigating allegations contained in House Resolution No. 1503 filed by Senior Citizens Partylist Rep. Rodolfo Ordañes, seeking an investigation on the actions of San Simon Mayor Abundio Punsalan Jr. and several members of the Sangguniang Bayan of the municipality.
The allegations include: the highly irregular reclassification of 1.4 hectares of agricultural land into industrial; the cancelation of the procurement for a bridge project without first canceling the signed contract of a winning bidder; the illegal use and disbursement of P45 million in public funds to purchase land for the expansion of the municipal hall; and for using a falsified SB resolution to collect P5 million from a corporation representing regulatory fees.
“This hearing is all about the cases filed against Mayor Punsalan. As of now, we have unearthed the details of the properties being bought by the Municipality of San Simon and the reclassification ordinance being given to some companies and individual titleholders,” Paduano said.
But what is more troubling, he added, were allegations that the municipality was dealing with foreign nationals posing as Filipino nationals, with fake Philippine passports.
