BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan warned government officials and private individuals from using his name to smoke-screen their illegal activities because he never authorized them to use his name for actuations that will ruin his integrity and credibility as a public servant.
The local chief executive underscored that he was able to preserve and protect his good name for his nearly three decades in public service having occupied various positions and that he will not allow a single person, especially if he is not from the Cordillera, who will use his name to justify his or her illegal activities because he never protected illegal activities during his incumbency as a local official.
Domogan made the statement after receiving reports from some members of the city’s transport sector that a ranking official of the Cordillera office of the Department of Transportation (DOTr-CAR) had been allegedly namedropping his name while engaged in alleged illegal and questionable transactions with those who are apprehended and suspected to be operating colorum vehicles.
“We welcome public officials and private individuals who want to assist the local government in the implementation of our laws, rules and regulations governing our lawful activities but if they go to the extent of using our name to justify their illegal transactions and operations, then we will not tolerate these acts and will spearhead the filing of the appropriate charges against them,” Domogan stressed.
He called on those victimized by erring government officials and individuals who had been using his name to execute the necessary affidavits and submit to his office so that he can initiate the appropriate actions against the erring officials and individuals.
According to him, it is best for the victims of extortion activities of government officials and private individuals who had been using his name to file the appropriate complaints with the concerned offices so that these erring officials could be immediately prosecuted and stop them from compromising the integrity and credibility of the concerned officials being namedropped.
Concerned members of several transport groups in the city questioned the law enforcement activities of a ranking DOTr-CAR official who had been namedropping Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and Mayor Domogan as aware of such operations to allegedly harass them into paying for alleged lowered violations despite having duly issued franchises and later to find out said amount collected from them were never remitted to the coffers of the agency.
The members of the transport sector urged Mayor Domogan not to tolerate the illegal actions of government officials and private individuals who continue to use his name for their illegal activities because it is his credibility and integrity that is at stake, especially for him who had been known to be against all forms of illegal activities in the city.
By Dexter A. See
