House of Representatives (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)





The House Committee on Public Accounts is seeking the statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs) of embattled Mexico, Pampanga Mayor Teddy Tumang in connection with its inquiry into allegedly anomalous transactions entered into by the official worth P149 million. During Wednesday committee hearing, panel chairman ABANG LINGKOD Party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano said he would write the Office of the Ombudsman to request for certified copies of Tumang’s SALNs. Paduano made the statement after several committee members wondered if Tumang was financially capable of reimbursing the town of P43 million out of the P89 million in transactions disallowed by the Commission on Audit (COA) in 2018. The amount originally disallowed by the COA and ordered returned to the town was P149 million. After appeals by Tumang and other town officials, the COA reduced it to P89 million. The committee learned from the town’s treasurer that the mayor reimbursed his municipality of almost P43 million in cash in July, August, and December 2018. Wednesday was the panel's second hearing of its motu proprio investigation on the alleged anomalous transactions and contracts entered into by the Municipality of Mexico dating back to 2007. Ernesto Punzalan, who filed the complaint affidavit against Tumang before the House panel, also attended the hearing and claimed that there were alleged anomalies in the processing of contracts such as the loan Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) amounting to P950 million. For his part, Tumang said it was unfortunate that other towns in Pampanga were permitted on their plans for a new city hall aside from Mexico, which he claimed was affected by politics. “This is not different from the dreams of other cities and municipalities like Angeles, San Fernando, Mabalacat, and Floridablanca. Mabalacat purchased a 2.5-hectare land worth P625 million for their new city hall.  But unfortunately, it is only Mexico’s project which was opposed,  like what has happened in this Congress,” Tumang said. “It is clearly politics, as we have already done an extensive study and research before embarking on these projects," he said. Tumang asked Punzalan, who lost in Mexico’s mayoral race in the last local poll, to accept defeat. “And to Mr. Ernesto Punzalan, please accept your loss, the people voted for me and you know who won. I was ahead by 48,550 votes, and the Regional Trial Court, the Ombudsman, and Sandiganbayan have decided. Let’s accept and respect the results,” Tumang said. But Paduano said: “Just to again reiterate […] that we have nothing to do with your local politics, the committee takes cognizance of this issue based on facts, and [as] the chairman of this committee upon receiving the letter coming from Mr. Punzalan, I asked the COA about the issues raised by Mr. Punzalan, and that includes the Ombudsman.”