Facade of Makati City Hall. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines —After three people, including two Makati City government personnel, were arrested on Wednesday, Mayor Abby Binay declared a hard-line policy against fixers.
In a statement, Binay vowed that the local government will “aggressively” enforce its anti-red tape measures.
“The city government will not tolerate fixers. We will continue to aggressively implement our anti-red tape initiatives to ensure that all transactions with the government are done in a transparent and fair manner,” she said.
Police earlier seized Aisheen Mana-ay, 27, Wilfreda De Leon, 59, and Merlin Balbuena, 46, in Barangay Poblacion.
According to the Makati government, De Leon works as an administrative assistant with a regular status while Balbuena is under the Makati Health Department’s sanitary section with a casual status.
Following her arrest, Binay said that De Leon would be stripped of her benefits.
The Makati City mayor urged residents and business owners to report illegal activities to the local police for proper investigation.
“We will continue to pursue these operations to ensure that our citizens receive the services that they need without having to go through the hassle of dealing with fixers,” she said.
The suspects are facing charges of violating Republic Act No. 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018. – Mae Anne F. Bilolo, INQUIRER.net intern