QC mayor-elect bares P10-M bribe attempt
Credit to Author: JAIME PILAPIL, TMT| Date: Wed, 19 Jun 2019 00:56:38 +0000
QUEZON CITY Mayor-elect Joy Belmonte exposed a P10 million bribe attempt from a ranking city building official in exchange for a permit.
Belmonte, in her Facebook page, said that “a well-known businessman called me earlier today (Tuesday, June 18, 2019). He was asked to give a 10M bribe at the Office of the Building Official in exchange for a building permit.”
Belmonte said the still unidentified businessman has so much respect for her.
“Having heard of my reputation as a good governance advocate, he called me to ask for some advice. I told him I would accompany him,” she said.
Belmonte did not name the city hall official who directed the businessman to proceed to the office of the building official.
Belmonte went further by revealing more “secrets” at city hall.
“Now I know why the majority of City Hall officials did not support me in the last elections,” she said.
Belmonte, also in a previous FB post, said Mayor Herbert Bautista had withdrawn his support at the last minute leading to the May 13 polls.
Belmonte won by 100,000 votes against closest rival District 1 Rep. Vincent “Bingbong” Crisologo whom Bautista allegedly supported.
She will take hear oath on June 30.
Belmonte also hinted that corruption has engulfed the ongoing construction of an auditorium and the just completed parking building inside the city hall campus.
“Now I also know why we will never be like Singapore, no matter how much we try to convince ourselves that all we need are a couple of fancy buildings, a 1.2B auditorium and an overpriced parking building,” she said.
Belmonte, however, admitted that it all boiled down to corrupt practices.
“It’s the system, stupid!,” she said quoting an unnamed source.
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