MANILA, July 7 (PNA) — Acting Makati City Mayor Romulo “Kid” Pena on Tuesday reiterated his assurance to the residents of Makati that all the services and benefits provided to them by the city government will continue to be implemented.
Pena made the statement in response to the “false accusations” made by the camp of suspended Mayor Junjun Binay that he scrapped the city’s free MRT shuttle service for workers from north Metro Manila commuting to Makati daily.
“There is no truth to the accusation that we have stopped the free shuttle service. The shuttle buses are continuing their service. Why will I stop an important public service which I know will invite the people’s ire? It doesn’t make sense,” Pena said.
The free shuttle service offering point-to-point, non-stop trips was conceptualized by Mayor Binay to provide respite to commuters, especially Makati-based employees, who have to contend with long lines at MRT-3 stations and frequent breakdowns of MRT trains.
“I would like to assure the citizens of Makati that all the services and benefits that they enjoy will continue to be provided to them by the city government. Tuloy po ang lahat ng serbisyo at benepisyo sa Makati. Ang tinitigil lang po natin ay pang-aabuso,” Pena said.
The acting mayor explained that there was only slight delay in the service because the contracts of the bus drivers were being evaluated to avoid ghost employees.
It can be recalled that Binay’s refusal to comply with the Office of the Ombudsman’s suspension order, which resulted in a violent standoff, and the delay of many important government transactions.
“We are actually busy renewing the contracts of the bus drivers, a task which they failed to do, due to defiance to the preventive suspension order. If there is anyone to blame for the delay of this important service, they only has to look at the mirror,” Pena added.
Pena said the city government was in fact planning to improve the free shuttle service by doubling the number of the buses and trips, and further improving its accordance with traffic guidelines.
He also said that his office would enforce mechanisms to safeguard it from political patronage practices.
Pena also appealed to the Binay camp to stop making false accusations and instead cooperate to improve the services and benefits of Makati.
“Recently, it was reported that Pena ordered the suspension of the city’s “sister city” agreements with partner local government units (LGUs) pending a comprehensive audit of the said pacts, particularly the Makati Friendship Suites, a controversial hotel where the city’s official guests can stay and which is the subject of a Senate Blue Ribbon Subcommittee investigation.
Pena said that while he reaffirmed Makati City’s strong ties with its partner LGUs, the controversy generated by the Makati Friendship Suites merited a serious review of the said program.
He also said future pacts with sister cities must be based on the common pursuit of good governance and not patronage politics.
“Even as I reaffirm Makati City’s strong ties with its partner LGUs, I have ordered the suspension of our city’s ‘sister city’ program pending a comprehensive audit of all existing agreements. The controversy generated by the Makati Friendship Suites merits a serious review of the said program,” Pena said.
“I am confident that our partner LGUs will understand. I believe that by doing this, the city will not only serve the interest of truth and accountability, it will also strengthen its ties with its partner local government organizations based on the common pursuit of good governance and not patronage politics, Pena added.
According to reports, compared to other highly urbanized cities in the country, Makati has the most number of sister cities with 670.
Quezon City, the biggest and the one of the wealthiest cities in country, has only 19 while Manila has 40 and Davao City, 10.
Pena said an audit of Makati’s sister city program is necessary to know if the resources allocated were well spent and check if some of the funds can be freed to further improve the services and benefits of the Makati residents.
Meanwhile, Joey Salgado, spokesperson of Mayor Binay slammed the creation of “evidence recovery team” that will gather evidences to support the charges against Vice President Jejomar Binay, son Makati City Erwin Jun-Jun and other city hall officials.
“The so-called evidence recovery team is composed of a former official who admitted to acts of corruption and a self-confessed manghuhula. We can only expect more lies, half-truths and spurious documents from these two,” Salgado said.
”It is now clear Vice Mayor Pena is just a figurehead, a mere front. He is not in charge. The ones calling the shots at City Hall are former Vice Mayor Mercado and Hechanova. These are the two ex-Makati officials who publicly admitted to their corrupt activities. Umamin sila Mercado at Hechanova na sila ay nangurakot sa City Hall,” Salgado explained.
Former barangay captain Renato Bondal said the team to be led by Engineer Mario Hechanova, former head of the Makati City government’s general services department and vice chairman of the city government’s bid and accounts committee, and help of other lawyers will “go through all the contracts that have been executed before.”
Bondal said acting mayor Romulo “Kid” Peña has provided them the permit to access the documents, including bid documents, vouchers, check payments, needed to support their claims exposed during Senate inquiry on alleged overpricing in the Makati City hall building 2. (PNA)