BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan explained that the fines being paid by violators of the different local ordinances are being issued the appropriate official receipts from the local government and that the funds being derived from the same accrue to the coffers of the city and not to the pockets of anyone as being projected by some quarters wanting to advance their personal and political interests.
The local chief executive said that it is unfortunate that during the election period, such petty issues crop up which is obviously intentional purposely geared towards ruining his image from the perception of the people for the said self-styled detractors to advance the interest of their benefactors.
“We are still lucky in the city because our voters are vigilant and do not simply buy the falsehoods that are being spread by our detractors who try to use malicious accusations to get one over us,” Domogan stressed.
He admitted that some concerned members of the transport sector have brought to his attention rumors circulating in their ranks that part of the fines being paid by violators of the city’s smokebelching ordinance is going to the pockets of city officials which is virtually false because all the fines accrue to the coffers of the local government based on the official receipts issued to the violators by the City Treasury Office, thus, the money does not pass through the hands of any other official except the duly authorized cashier.
He explained that after the violators of the smokebelching ordinance have been issued the notice of violation with the corresponding payment, the driver or operator of the vehicle has to settle the fine with the City Treasury Office and not to any other city official wherein they will be issued the official receipt of the local government which the driver or operator has to present to claim the confiscated license plate number of his vehicle.
Another lie being circulated by his detractors in the transport section, According to him, is that the reason for the high prices of fuel in the city is because he is allegedly on the take from the oil companies.
Domogan explained that the oil industry is a deregulated industry and that the prices of oil is primarily affected by the prevailing world market prices as dictated by the members of the Oil Producing and Exporting Countries (OPEC), thus, such serious allegation is again baseless, unfounded and unfair.
He appealed to the city’s electorate to be calm and sober and for them to scrutinize the private and public lives of those who are aspiring for the different elected positions in the local level so that they will be fully informed and educated on who are the ones that actually deserve their vote to serve the people in the next three years so as not to compromise the gains that the city was able to achieve for several decades now that brought back the city’s identity as one of the premier tourist destinations in the country.
He expressed disappointment that rehashed issues are again being raised against him now that the May 13, 2019 mid-term elections is just around the corner wherein the same were already addressed in the past several elections but it seems there is a concerted effort among his detractors to ruin the good image that he was able to nurture for over three decades of responsible and dedicated service rendered to the city. By Dexter A. See
