Zambo mayor denies pocketing pork barrel while she was in Congress

By: Julie S. Alipala - 10 years ago

Zamboanga City Mayor Maria Isabelle “Beng” Climaco-Salazar (left). INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines—Zamboanga City Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco Salazar denied pocketing money from her pork barrel allocation while she was a member of the House of Representatives.

“I would like to assure the people that their congresswoman has put in not just P16 million worth but an amount more than P2 billion worth in my six years in Congress,” Salazar said at a press conference on Monday.

“I assure you that I did not use the funds for other purposes,” she added in Chavacano.

Salazar said she found it “very disturbing and very alarming” that issues such as the pork barrel scam are “haunting me in terms of credibility” now that she is mayor.

“Nonetheless, as I face other issues, I face it openly and will have it investigated,” she said.