Terribly, Tumang
DEATH and destruction have emerged as the hallmark of the administration of Teddy Tumang in Mexico, Pampanga.
Three barangay chairs and two kagawads lead the documented list of 44 fatalities in an orgy of killings since Tumang took over the town hall in 2004. And excluded from that death list yet are the 13 casualties in the Independence Day 2005 encounter between Army troopers and the Rebolusyonaryong Hukbong Bayan.
With local leaders reduced to sitting ducks in an open season, there – indeed – is a total breakdown of peace and order here: human life span approximating that of a flea’s. Reminds me of the essential baddie in the spaghetti westerns: “In Mexico, señor, we kill for nothing.”
By troubling coincidence, death is the hallmark of the mayor’s family name: Funeraria Tumang being the established undertaker in the town. Death is good business, eh.
Any public servant worth the vote of his constituents would have moved heaven and earth, if not raised hell, to stem this tsunami of killings. But no, Tumang is not just any public servant.
So he moved earth – literally, the ground upon which the Mexico town hall was erected; and demolished the edifice. Perhaps this was Tumang’s act of offering to appease the god of death? And by so doing, he raised hell. Unto himself.
A number of the townfolk cried “sacrilege” over this destruction of a local heritage – the municipio being, in a sense, a monument to their democratic aspirations, to their identity as a people. Which they felt was earlier betrayed by Tumang and his Sanggunian gang when no public consultation on the issue was called.
So there is a Resolution No. 039(A)-2006 that granted Tumang the authority “to effect the proposed major renovation, expansion, and construction of the municipal hall building and improvement of its facilities and premises.”
It does appear now that Tumang and the Sangguniang Bayan of Mexico have a comprehension of certain terms that is not only different but even contrary to that of the rest of us – “major renovation and expansion” synonymous to “demolition.”
In accordance with my limited knowledge of governmental processes, it takes more than a Sanggunian resolution to cause the demolition of a town hall – even granting that the authority given Tumang was indeed to that effect.
The building had to be thoroughly investigated first by a competent body which would then make a recommendation on the basis of its findings. The Department of Public Works and Highways comes in, being the authority on public buildings. Being public property, the Commission on Audit has a major say too in the building’s proper disposition.
Renovation then has to go through the usual bidding process.
Some procedural lapses appear to be very evident here, Tumang seemingly fast tracking the whole thing..
Highly questionable too – as a matter of morals if not in point of law – is the use of anticipated income to fund the municipal building’s construction. SM was reported to have advanced between P10-million and P15-million in tax payments directly to the demolition-construction job. A COA employee was reported to have said that advanced tax payments had to be put in a trust fund “intended for allotment in next year’s (2007) projects.”
Question: Will the COA have the balls to investigate Tumang?
Yet another question that may interest the Ombudsman this time: Is Tumang using his office as Mexico mayor to engage in personal business?
Along with other mediamen, I got hold of certain records of transactions between Tumang and Central Country Estate Inc. (CCEI), the developer of Lakeshore.
Item 1. A memo on the Mayor’s stationery, dated August 13, 2004, addressed to Architect Nestor S. Mangio, President & CEO, The Lakeshore. Subject: Price Quotation for Filling Materials:
“Thru this missive, I state that our price for filling materials is Sixty-five (-P-65.00) Pesos per cubic meters (sic) dumped on site and on a 70-30 basis of payment.
“Thank you and please consider this.”
It was signed Teddy C. Tumang, Municipal Mayor.
Item 2. Purchase Order of CCEI, dated January 5, 2006 addressed to and received by Supplier “Hon. Teddy Tumang” for 1,500 T/L (truckloads?) of “earth fill materials.”
Item 3. Billing sheet for filling materials for the period Sept. 12 – Oct. 15, 2005 totaling to 6,519.17 cubic meters at 384 truckloads. Handwritten notations of “x95 = P619,321.15 less 30% swapping – P185,796.34 =P433,524.81.”
Item 4. Billing sheet for filling materials for the period Oct. 7-15, 2005 totaling to 4,816.50 cubic meters at 292 truckloads. Handwritten notations of “x95 = P457,561.50 less 30% swapping – 137,270.75 = P320,297.25.”
Item 4. Check Voucher dated Oct. 8, 2004 with Stone Head Enterprises as payee for 9,604.61 cubic meters priced at P624,299.65 less 30% swapping at P187,289 amounted to P437,009.75.
Item 5. Check Voucher dated Oct. 26,2004 with Stone Head Enterprises as payee for 3,111.34 cubic meters priced at P202,217.60 less 30% swapping at P60,665.28 amounted to P141,552.32.
Item 6. Check voucher dated Oct. 25, 2005 with Stone Head Enterprises as payee with no indicated volume of filling materials delivered priced at P619,321.15 less 30% swapping at P185,796.34 amounted to P433,524.61.
Item 7. Official Receipt No. 002 of Stone Head Enterprises dated October 12, 2004 made to “NS Mangio Const. & Devt. Corp.” for Metrobank Check No. 1890415299 in the amount of P437.009.75 for filling materials.
Item 8. A ledger – Project: Lakeshore, Subject: Lot Swapping, Supplier: Stone Head Enterprises. Grand Total: Amount of Billing – P10,036,918.30; Amount 30% Swapping – P4,729,291.47; Balance – P5,307,626.84.
In this ledger appeared under Lot Assignment at Eastlake: Block 9, Lot 8 with an area of 327 square meters costing P1.635 million; Block 9, Lot 9, at 402 square meters costing P2.17 million; and Block 4a, Lot 5, at 345 square meters costing P1.828 million.
Amount swapped is totaled at P5,634,300.00 and balance due is P905,008,54.
So this is a filling-material-for-Lakeshore-lot swap. Now in whose name are these lots registered? Did the local government of Mexico get anything out of these transactions? What is Tumang’s connection with Stonehead Enterprises?
People of Mexico, you are in a terrible fix.
.
Three barangay chairs and two kagawads lead the documented list of 44 fatalities in an orgy of killings since Tumang took over the town hall in 2004. And excluded from that death list yet are the 13 casualties in the Independence Day 2005 encounter between Army troopers and the Rebolusyonaryong Hukbong Bayan.
With local leaders reduced to sitting ducks in an open season, there – indeed – is a total breakdown of peace and order here: human life span approximating that of a flea’s. Reminds me of the essential baddie in the spaghetti westerns: “In Mexico, señor, we kill for nothing.”
By troubling coincidence, death is the hallmark of the mayor’s family name: Funeraria Tumang being the established undertaker in the town. Death is good business, eh.
Any public servant worth the vote of his constituents would have moved heaven and earth, if not raised hell, to stem this tsunami of killings. But no, Tumang is not just any public servant.
So he moved earth – literally, the ground upon which the Mexico town hall was erected; and demolished the edifice. Perhaps this was Tumang’s act of offering to appease the god of death? And by so doing, he raised hell. Unto himself.
A number of the townfolk cried “sacrilege” over this destruction of a local heritage – the municipio being, in a sense, a monument to their democratic aspirations, to their identity as a people. Which they felt was earlier betrayed by Tumang and his Sanggunian gang when no public consultation on the issue was called.
So there is a Resolution No. 039(A)-2006 that granted Tumang the authority “to effect the proposed major renovation, expansion, and construction of the municipal hall building and improvement of its facilities and premises.”
It does appear now that Tumang and the Sangguniang Bayan of Mexico have a comprehension of certain terms that is not only different but even contrary to that of the rest of us – “major renovation and expansion” synonymous to “demolition.”
In accordance with my limited knowledge of governmental processes, it takes more than a Sanggunian resolution to cause the demolition of a town hall – even granting that the authority given Tumang was indeed to that effect.
The building had to be thoroughly investigated first by a competent body which would then make a recommendation on the basis of its findings. The Department of Public Works and Highways comes in, being the authority on public buildings. Being public property, the Commission on Audit has a major say too in the building’s proper disposition.
Renovation then has to go through the usual bidding process.
Some procedural lapses appear to be very evident here, Tumang seemingly fast tracking the whole thing..
Highly questionable too – as a matter of morals if not in point of law – is the use of anticipated income to fund the municipal building’s construction. SM was reported to have advanced between P10-million and P15-million in tax payments directly to the demolition-construction job. A COA employee was reported to have said that advanced tax payments had to be put in a trust fund “intended for allotment in next year’s (2007) projects.”
Question: Will the COA have the balls to investigate Tumang?
Yet another question that may interest the Ombudsman this time: Is Tumang using his office as Mexico mayor to engage in personal business?
Along with other mediamen, I got hold of certain records of transactions between Tumang and Central Country Estate Inc. (CCEI), the developer of Lakeshore.
Item 1. A memo on the Mayor’s stationery, dated August 13, 2004, addressed to Architect Nestor S. Mangio, President & CEO, The Lakeshore. Subject: Price Quotation for Filling Materials:
“Thru this missive, I state that our price for filling materials is Sixty-five (-P-65.00) Pesos per cubic meters (sic) dumped on site and on a 70-30 basis of payment.
“Thank you and please consider this.”
It was signed Teddy C. Tumang, Municipal Mayor.
Item 2. Purchase Order of CCEI, dated January 5, 2006 addressed to and received by Supplier “Hon. Teddy Tumang” for 1,500 T/L (truckloads?) of “earth fill materials.”
Item 3. Billing sheet for filling materials for the period Sept. 12 – Oct. 15, 2005 totaling to 6,519.17 cubic meters at 384 truckloads. Handwritten notations of “x95 = P619,321.15 less 30% swapping – P185,796.34 =P433,524.81.”
Item 4. Billing sheet for filling materials for the period Oct. 7-15, 2005 totaling to 4,816.50 cubic meters at 292 truckloads. Handwritten notations of “x95 = P457,561.50 less 30% swapping – 137,270.75 = P320,297.25.”
Item 4. Check Voucher dated Oct. 8, 2004 with Stone Head Enterprises as payee for 9,604.61 cubic meters priced at P624,299.65 less 30% swapping at P187,289 amounted to P437,009.75.
Item 5. Check Voucher dated Oct. 26,2004 with Stone Head Enterprises as payee for 3,111.34 cubic meters priced at P202,217.60 less 30% swapping at P60,665.28 amounted to P141,552.32.
Item 6. Check voucher dated Oct. 25, 2005 with Stone Head Enterprises as payee with no indicated volume of filling materials delivered priced at P619,321.15 less 30% swapping at P185,796.34 amounted to P433,524.61.
Item 7. Official Receipt No. 002 of Stone Head Enterprises dated October 12, 2004 made to “NS Mangio Const. & Devt. Corp.” for Metrobank Check No. 1890415299 in the amount of P437.009.75 for filling materials.
Item 8. A ledger – Project: Lakeshore, Subject: Lot Swapping, Supplier: Stone Head Enterprises. Grand Total: Amount of Billing – P10,036,918.30; Amount 30% Swapping – P4,729,291.47; Balance – P5,307,626.84.
In this ledger appeared under Lot Assignment at Eastlake: Block 9, Lot 8 with an area of 327 square meters costing P1.635 million; Block 9, Lot 9, at 402 square meters costing P2.17 million; and Block 4a, Lot 5, at 345 square meters costing P1.828 million.
Amount swapped is totaled at P5,634,300.00 and balance due is P905,008,54.
So this is a filling-material-for-Lakeshore-lot swap. Now in whose name are these lots registered? Did the local government of Mexico get anything out of these transactions? What is Tumang’s connection with Stonehead Enterprises?
People of Mexico, you are in a terrible fix.
.
posted by A.Caesar Z. Lacson at 11:53 PM
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