Batangas City---One of the biggest rip-offs in this city's history is now in the hands of the ombudsman. Batangas City Mayor Vilma Dimacuha was again slapped recently with a graft case before the Office of the Ombudsman in Quezon City.
In his complaint affidavit, Rodan H. Spiritu, a resident of Batangas City claimed that Mayor Dimacuha illegally directed the City Treasurer to credit in favor of KIELCO (Kepco Ilijan Power Corporation) the penalty it imposed for its belated payment of business tax.
KIELCO was penalized by the Treasurer for One Million Six Hundred Eighty Seven Thousand and Fifty Pesos (Php 1,687,050.00) for the late payment of its obligation in 2011.
Instead of enforcing the penalty, the Mayor sided with the Korean power firm and ordered the Treasurer’s Office to credit the penalty to KIELCO’s future tax liabilities.
It turned out that her son Atty. RD Dimacuha, who also works at the mayor's office as her executive secretary, is a law school classmate of KIELCO's lawyer.
Mayor Dimacuha is the wife of Atty. Eddie B. Dimacuha who was put his son and now wife in the mayor's seat to continue the Dimacuha political dynasty for the last 25 years.
Eddie is now running again for mayor after his wife's one term in the mayor's office.
The complainant questioned the act of Dimacuha and stated that, in effect she has been given unwarranted benefit, advantage or preference to the exclusion of other establishments which might be in similar situation.
Spiritu added that the Mayor manifested partiality, evident bad faith, and inexcusable negligence in granting such favor thereby forfeiting the penalty imposed by the City Government of Batangas.
What is more telling according to Spiritu is the fact that the Mayor in her letter to the Treasurer acted like a lawyer for KIELCO and justified the delay of its payment.
The Mayor, an elective public official should have not acted in favor of any particular person or business entity or corporation but rather for the welfare of the general public.
A similar graft case was filed versus Mayor Dimacuha last December when she entered into a compromise agreement with the same power firm where Batangas City allegedly lost P9 billion worth of collectible taxes.
The complaint stated that the Mayor is in Violation of RA 6713 otherwise known as Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for a Public Official for causing undue damage to the City, Violation of RA 3019 Corrupt Practices of Public Officers for persuading, inducing or influencing another public officer to perform an act constituting a violation of rules and regulations duly promulgated by competent authority.
The new case supplements the argument of the complainant that the Mayor has been favoring KIELCO by providing unwarranted benefits which is grossly disadvantageous to the local government.
SLI called RD Dimacuha a couple of times but he didn't answer his phone. (Mei Magsino, SLI)
She should realize that as a proxy to the ailing dictator, she will bear all the burdens and problems of the past. Even after EBD is gone, VAD will have to face strings of cases that maybe unearthed as soon as the dynasty ends. Even assuming that her husband gets elected, there is no stopping anyone from digging documents and records of illegal acts she might have unwittingly signed.
ReplyDeletethe great roman empire fell to disgusting ashes. this too will crash, miserably. karma.
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