" Governing is not only about beautification "
As the filing of the certificates of candidacy for the 2022 presidential elections draw near and with no official declaration yet from probable candidates yet, some “enterprising” criminal-minded individuals have already taken advantage of the situation, using the names of some of these possible contenders to make money in the guise of raising campaign funds for those politicians.
Among those to fall victim was presidential daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte whose name was reportedly used in soliciting money from her supporters. The Davao City mayor was quick to react, issuing a statement, distancing herself from said fund-raising activity.
Now, it’s Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” Domagoso’s turn.
Yesterday, a source told me that a major player in the import and export industry is using his name, again, supposedly to raise campaign funds for his possible presidential run, but this time, through an allegedly illicit activity – smuggling.
According to my source, this player, whom they call the “multisubsonic girl,” is fast gaining notoriety as the main fixer of a big-time smuggler operating at a point of entry in the north.
The “multisubsonic girl” reportedly gets a lot of leverage as the go-to fixer of smugglers in the area is because of her connections to a ranking Customs official.
Her special relationship with the Customs officials has also given her special access to “Madam Less” The Appraiser.
According to industry insiders, this “multisubsonic girl” also owns a brokerage firm. However, she makes more money as fixer and the primary facilitator of the illegal operations of a big-time smuggler at the said port who is reportedly one of the country’s biggest sources of smuggled agricultural products that include frozen meat products, fruits and vegetables and even cigarettes.
Apart from being a known side chick of the Customs official, “multisubsonic girl” is also feared inside the port because she constantly namedrops Bong Go as political patron. But people who know her and BG however swear that the senator has nothing to do with her operations.
Yorme has to start checking on the activity of this “multisubsonic girl.”
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While Yorme is checking on this girl and her despicable activity, maybe he should also check on his previous dramatics when he asked for Manileños for donations to help pay for the P4.4 billion debt former Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada left the city after his tour of duty which lasted for six years.
In October 2019, barely three months into office, Domagoso declared his office open for donations from ordinary citizens, even bragging that ordinary citizens have voluntarily donated money to cover the city’s debt.
Domagoso was so optimistic at that time that he projected the number of donors would rise even more the moment they receive the updated numbers from the Bureau of Internal Revenue.
But one and a half years into office, Domagoso has further plunged the capital city into an abyss of debt when he borrowed P5 billion from the Development Bank of the Philippines for his Medium and Long-Term Development Plan, last January.
According to DBP President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel Herbosa, the loan Domagoso had secured would be used to bankroll various infrastructure projects such as the expansion of the Ospital ng Maynila, construction of the Manila Skydeck, construction and maintenance of various health centers, and the re-development of the Manila Zoo including the construction of a sewage treatment plant, which is said, “will revive Manila and bring it back to its rightful throne as one of the most beautiful, captivating cities in the country.”
As a pure-bred Manileño, born and raised in Tondo although I have been adopted by another city now, I am really excited that these structures and institutions are finally being given some attention and refurbishing now.
But my question then is, if Domagoso was about a year ago asking for some donations to help pay off the P4.4 billion debt by Erap, how is he then going to pay for this additional loan?
It would be highly immoral to ask for the Manileños to shell out extra dough aside from the taxes they are already paying to pay for these debts the city government had incurred for projects that could have waited until the pandemic is over. Remember the dolomite issue when critics of the government were saying the project could have been postponed and waited for a better time? And to think that some of the projects every Manila would be shouldering include those Tondominiums for which majority of the city denizens did not benefit from.
Governing is not only about beautification. It’s first and foremost addressing the basic needs of one’s constituents without detriment to the interest and needs of another group.