Tabuk Mayor Estrañero lashes out at critics
TABUK CITY, Kalinga: Mayor Darwin Estrañero lashed out at his critics for their “witch hunting” activities and early politicking that have projected a negative image of the city for the past months.
The mayor, who is in his first term claimed the series of accusations against him on the alleged overpriced purchase of thermal scanners and relief goods, among others, are obviously politically motivated.
A multisectoral group ealier launched the Oplan Salacnib on social media, raising these issues against Mayor Estrañero.
He said in a statement that “his detractors tried to project that the said transactions were questionable, even without the conclusive report of the Commission on Audit (CoA), which has the sole jurisdiction in determining whether or not such purchases were not done pursuant to established guidelines.”
He questioned the group for refusing to divulge their identities, as they were inclined to discredit the efforts of the present administration amid the coronavirus pandemic for their own personal and political interests.
He claimed that all the transactions that had been entered by the city government in relation to combating the coronavirus passed through stringent processes.
Estrañero pointed out that the transactions in the disbursement of the P93.5-million Bayanihan grant of the city and some P50 million from local funds had been fully documented and available for scrutiny.
“We believe the accusations being repeatedly hurled against us on the alleged overpriced thermal scanners, relief goods, among others, are premature because the CoA — the government agency tasked to audit purchases and other transactions — is still evaluating and assessing the same, thus, there is still no substantial basis for the filing of the cases against us,” he said.
The City Health Services Office defended the emergency purchase of thermal guns by the local government at the height of the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine, as there was very limited supply of the said medical equipment at the time they were acquired.