Magtajas: Nanding blames everyone but himself

FORMER mayor Pablo Magtajas lashed back at embattled Councilor Rey-naldo Advincula even as he denied being the brains behind an ordinance that has been blamed for the accumulation of market vendors’ debts

‘‘He (Advincula) is now blaming everyone but himself for the mess he is in,’’ said Magtajas in an interview over the weekend. ‘‘He is trying to deviate from the real issue which is delicadeza.’’

Advincula has called Magtajas the ‘‘culprit’’ and the one responsible for the failure of market vendors to pay city hall their rent. The combined debts of the vendors, according to Advincula, reached nearly P10 million because of an ordinance that dramatically increased stall rentals. The ordinance, according to the councilor, was passed by the council during the Magtajas administration.

"Advincula is already cornered so he is deviating from the real issue. He is trying to escape," Magtajas said. "What ordinance is he talking about? I don’t know what he’s talking about and I never pushed for the approval of an ordinance that increased stall rentals.’’

Magtajas challenged Advincula to show proof that would show he (Magtajas) was to blame for the vendors’ debts that ballooned to some P10 million.

"Nine years have passed and I can’t understand why Advincula would accuse me of something that’s not my doing," Magtajas.

Instead, Magtajas said Advincula should ask Mayor Vicente Emano to explain why the debts of market vendors ballooned to some P10 million.

Last April, the city council approved an ordinance that wrote off the debts of vendors, including the debts of the Advinculas, in 2001 and the preceding years. Advincula, who voted for the ordinance, said the April ordinance had to be passed to correct a ‘‘mistake’’ made during the Magtajas administration.

"He is dreaming," Magtajas said. "The issue is delicadeza, his business interests at the market. What he did is clearly a serious offense against Cagayanons."

Magtajas also sharply criticized city hall for approving an ordinance that wrote off the vendors’ debts without specifying the amount involved.

"The city council is also liable for passing that ordinance, they allowed Advincula’s debts to be written off," said Magtajas, adding that no one raised a question on Advincula’s ‘‘conflict of interest.’’

Advincula has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in connection with his "videoke" and video game machine business at the 3rd level of city hall-owned Cogon market. The councilor allegedly maintains a stall at a lower level under the name of his son Reynaldo Jr.


That can be read at Gold Star Daily