Sagip Rep. Rodante Marcoleta. PHOTO FROM FACEBOOK
MANILA, Philippines — Rep. Rodante Marcoleta, of Sagip party-list, slammed Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong for “pointing an accusing finger” on legislators.
Magalong, in a virtual flag-raising ceremony on July 3 at Camp Crame, lamented the proposal to have military and uniformed personnel contribute to their pension when no legislators expressed willingness to give up or even admit that they still have a pork barrel.
The mayor made the observation in view of the country’s soaring debt, which is now at around P14.10 trillion.
“It is as if the good mayor of Baguio wants to proclaim himself as the night and shining armor, armed with a silver bullet, to address corruption in this country,” Marcoleta said in his privilege speech during the House plenary session.
“I’d like to believe that he is trying to project himself as the Hercules of Greece, who strived to cleanse the Augean stables — the modern reference to graft and corruption,” he added.
In view of this, Marcoleta also dared Magalong not only to give up his pension but as well as his purported confidential fund amounting to P2 million.
“Okay naman po ang contribution ng inyong pension kung gusto po ninyo, pero maliit yon. Why don’t you give up the confidential fund kasi po meron po kayong confidential fund, according to reports, about two million pesos per year,” Marcoleta said.
(Your pension contribution is okay, if you want, but it is too meager. Why don’t you give up the confidential fund because you have it, according to reports of about two million pesos per year.)
“Siguro magsimula kayo doon, kung kayo ay makatulong at may makausap pa na ibang mga mayor,” he added.
(Maybe you could start there, so you could help and talk to other mayors.)
Marcoleta also taunted Magalong that the Congress could match up to five times the amount that he could pool.
“Whatever amount you can produce I will ask the leadership of Congress to match that, maybe five times the amount that will be able to produce, so that we can address the problem of our national budget,” he said.
“Do not point the accusing finger to the legislature,” Marcoleta continued. “The legislature is much more greater than the sum total of its parts. Do not generalize.”
INQUIRER.net has reached Magalong for comment but he has yet to respond as of posting.
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