MANILA, Philippines — Presidential candidate and Manila mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso on Thursday said that “traditional politicians” are behind the recent graft case filed against him over the sale of Divisoria Public Market.
Moreno, along with Manila vice mayor Honey Lacuña, Councilors Joel Chua and Ernesto Isip Jr., and two other city officials, were named respondents in a graft complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman by representatives of Divisoria Public Market Credit Cooperative.
“Good luck, eh yun naman ay mga traditional politician eh. Alam ng tao ‘yun. Basang-basa sa Maynila ‘yun. Hindi nila mato-tolongges ang mga taga Maynila, and I wish them good luck,” Moreno said in an ambush interview in Bacolod City Hall.
(Good luck, those are the making of the traditional politicians. The people know that. The people of Manila could see through their schemes. They can’t fool the people of Manila, and I wish them good luck.)
“Matatanda na sila, alam na nila ang tama at mali. Kakatapos lang ng semana santa. Ano sabi ni Jesus?: Ama, patawarin mo sila, hindi nila alam ang kanilang ginagawa,” the Manila chief executive also said.
(They’re already grown ups, they know what’s right or wrong. In light of the recent Holy Week, did you know what Jesus said? Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.)
In their complaint dated April 26, the complainants said Moreno and other respondents “had entered on behalf of the Government, into a contract or transaction that is manifestly and grossly disadvantageous to the same, to the public at large [and] to the public market vendors” of Divisoria Public Market.
The complainants also said that the demolition of the public marker is tantamount to “depriving our future generation of priceless heritage,” noting that the Divisoria area is known for being a “public market.”
In August 2020, the Manila City council authorized Moreno to enter into a contract for the sale of the 3,700-sq m property in a bid to raise funds for its pandemic response.
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