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Baguio citizen’s forum opens Pandora’s box

Dirty politics at work?

BAGUIO CITY (May 26) — A citizen’s forum after the Baguio City Council session on May 23 opened a Pandora’s Box involving the city council.

A certain Eugene Pelle surprised the council over the P190,000 he allegedly handed to Councilor Leandro Yangot, Jr. in exchange of a favor to operate the mini-fair at the Quezon Elementary School ground, here. This led the councilor to insinuate that there was a much larger deal involving some of his colleagues.

In a press conference, Yangot categorically denied Pelle’s allegations that he received the amount in a Korean restaurant here. He likewise denounced the expose´ tagging it as “orchestrated manipulations” by his political opponents.

Pelle appeared before the council to air a complaint that his group wanted an extension of the fair. He said his group suspected that the council was favoring another entertainment company, which pressured his party to pack up. He is among those who engaged in a mini-fair, which the council approved to operate for 20 days.

Originally, the fair management proposed a 60-day period to break-even on operational expenses, which the council denied considering the opening of classes.

Yangot revealed that before the appearance of Pelle in the citizen’s forum, his committee was set to investigate a P50 million negotiated contract for the rehabilitation and conversion of the Irisan (garbage) dumpsite.

“Naunahan lang kami, they wanted the heat to fall on us,” Yangot said, referring to some of his colleagues who could be behind the alleged P50 million deal.

Yangot said he challenged the council to create an investigating body to look into the scandal.

Yangot also deduced that the expose´ is a product of a political demolition job against him. He said a text message told him that he is the first in the “hitlist”, Councilor Rocky Thomas Balisong following close as second. “The 2007 local elections are fast approaching and political positioning has started to take shape,” he surmised.

He did not discount the possibility of a mayoralty recall elections, which, he said, may be the reason why his detractors are doing everything to discredit him. # Lyn V. Ramo for NORDIS

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