Mismanagement, corruption and election fraud in Tagaytay

Tuesday, 03 August 2010 00:00

BUDDY CUNANAN

In the last episode of my social awareness TV show Philippines Uncut—which airs every
Saturday at 9 p.m. on GNN—I had a good conversation with former Tagay-tay vice mayoralty
candidate Pastor Ronald Tan about the situation in his city.

Tagaytay is one of the most popular tourist destinations around Metro Manila because of its
accessibility, crisp mountain air, breathtaking view of Taal volcano, and delightful restaurants
and cafes. However, behind this pleasant facade lies a city that is reeling from mismanagement
and corruption.

For the better part of four decades, Tagaytay has been ruled by the Tolentino family. The
patriarch, Isaac, was mayor for 27 years. His son and newly-appointed MMDA chairman Francis
was mayor from 1994 to 2004, followed by his younger brother, Abraham, who has remained at
the city’s helm ever since.

To say that basic services in Tagaytay are lacking is a gross understatement. For instance,
street lighting is woefully inadequate. The only decently illuminated areas are on the main road
where the majority of commercial establishments are located, while the rest of the city, in
particular the interior barangays, is plunged in virtual darkness. Even though Tagaytay has just
50,000 real residents (the population balloons to 300,000 on weekends) and earns about P700
million a year, the city has no free hospitalization, no senior citizen subsidy for medicines, no
free college education, no centralized sewage facility, no proper waste disposal system, to
name just a few absent social services.

Clearly, something is amiss in Tagaytay when one considers that the tiny fourth-class
municipality of Amadeo next door earns barely + of the former’s income and yet all its
barangays are lighted. Nearby Bacoor, Cavite, with ten times the number of residents, earns the
same as Tagaytay and yet has much better social services.

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The root of the problem, according to Tan, who once served as Francis’ executive assistant, is
the Tolentino family. Francis and Abraham are facing multiple graft cases before the
Ombudsman, the latest of which was filed by Tan last July 21st. He is accusing the brothers of
amassing over P500 million in ill-gotten wealth and charging them with plunder and violating the
Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public
Officials and Employees.

Tan points out that when Francis became mayor in 1994, the only recorded real estate

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Mismanagement, corruption and election fraud in Tagaytay
Tuesday, 03 August 2010 00:00

belonging to the Tolentinos was their ancestral home located in the city’s Barangay Tolentino
West. Today, the list of the family’s lands in Tagaytay is impressive. The Cockpit Arena, Frablyn
Towers, Star Ridge Plaza, Windy Ridge Hotel, Airborne Building, New Orleans Hotel, and
Overlook Inn are just a few of the prime properties around the Silang Crossing junction that are
owned by the brothers. Abraham recently purportedly acquired a house and lot in posh San
Lorenzo Village in Makati City. How is a mayor with an official monthly salary of just P40,000
able to afford this, Tan asks?

Tan also accuses Francis and Abraham of misrepresenting the real financial condition of the
city. The Commission on Audit’s official 2006 assessment of Tagaytay states that the “Cash in
Vault” of P130 million as claimed by the city government “is not backed up by hard currency.” In
fact, the cashbooks reveal a total balance of only P11. Tan said the Tolentinos must answer for
this and that Francis cannot simply pass the buck to Abraham since these ills were merely
passed on to his brother by his (Francis) administration.

There are reportedly many other cases of abuse.

___

Locals say most Tagaytayans are tired of the Tolentinos. The latter, however, have been able to
defy the people by being experts at electoral fraud, especially through e-cheating during the last
polls. Pre-election surveys showed Tan and his runningmate winning over the incumbents by as
much as an 80 percent margin. However, on Election Day the results were reversed, in favor of
the Tolentino ticket. Abraham reportedly guaranteed his victory through pre-programmed CF
cards. Tan also has witnesses who are ready to testify about three illegal PCOS machines that
were used to transmit spurious election results from City Hall and that were later spirited away,
using the mayor’s vehicles.

It’s tragic that Tagaytay is naturally blessed but seemingly cursed by the men who rule it. Also
perturbing is Francis’ designation as MMDA chairman. President Aquino has made good
government the center-piece of his administration. In light of the many pending graft cases
against Francis, it might be a good idea for the Chief Executive to re-evaluate the appointment.
Francis’ very capability to run the MMDA is also in question. If, as Tagaytay mayor, he couldn’t
solve the traffic and waste disposal problems of his 50,000 constituents, how could he possibly
do it for the 15 million residents of Metro Manila?

neighborsnbn@gmail.com

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