By the Bohol Chronicle
An expose' which was intended to be a long running investigation of an alleged bingo protector ended before it begun.
City Kagawad Danilo Bantugan, in his privilege speech last Friday, caught much media coverage when he challenged a full dress investigation of a city councilor who allegedly offered protection money for the lawmakers in order to ensure that the daily bingo operation at the top level of the Island City Mall will continue.
"I have all the evidences in my hand," Bantugan shouted at the top of his voice.
RAMA, BANTUGAN
while saying that signatures of the city councilor appeared in documents which are part of the evidences.
The lawmakers agreed that city legal counsel Doni Piquero will handle the probe so it will not excuse any member of the city SP from being investigated.
During the mayor's radio program yesterday, the anchormen put pressure on Bantugan to divulge the name of the city lawmaker whom he alleged as the "protector" of the bingo operation. He politely declined to name names as he wants the Piquero probe team to issue statements once the investigation will be completed.
In fact, Bantugan sounded optimistic that formal charges can be filed against the lawmaker.
The drumbeating in the airlanes for the said expose' reached its peak when a paid hack of city hall started to insinuate that once the kagawad is identified, a signature campaign will be conducted for his ouster as a city kagawad.
Bantugan said the probe should be done fast in order to clear the name of the city kagawads.
But, few minutes after Bantugan was interviewed over the airlanes, City Kagawad Zenaido Rama called the radio program to "tell it all" regarding the allegations of a "protector."
Rama shocked the anchormen when he admitted that there are checks of the bingo company issued under his name.
But, he was quick to state that the checks were issued to him not because he was their protector, but as an investor.
In the first place, why should such legitimate business needs a protector, Rama asked.
What would need a protector is the illegal swertres, but not a legitimate bingo operation, he continued.
Rama recalled that sometime in 2004, three years before he was elected as city councilor, he got invited to invest in the bingo operation owned by Limkitkai, a wealthy businessman from Cagayan de Oro City.
Together with businessman John Yap (brother-in-law of Mayor Dan Lim) they invested P500,000 to open the bingo operations here.
"And, that's precisely the reason why checks under my name were issued by the bingo operator", Rama explained which ended an expose' before it could take off.
"I pity Bantugan and his mastermind for being poor researchers," Rama said.
Asked if he continues to receive checks from the bingo operations, Rama said "not anymore after the Cagayan partner was pressured by Mayor Lim to kick us (me and Yap) out as partners in the business sometime in 2007, few months after he got elected as city councilor.
He narrated that his partnership in the bingo operations ended after Mayor Lim told Limkitkai that city hall will not renew its mayor's permit if Rama and Yap will not be kicked out from the business. I was serving then my first year as city councilor.
If Bantugan insists the investigation to continue, then "I'm afraid I might have more documents to show," Rama concluded.
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