Author Topic: Protection money rocks city hall?  (Read 605 times)

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Protection money rocks city hall?
« on: September 17, 2009, 04:11:53 AM »
WHO are these cityhall guys asking protection money from businesses in the city?
City councilor Danilo Bantugan virtually dropped a bombshell Friday when he delivered a privilege speech, alledging that a Chinese businessman gave out “protection money” to be shared by city council members.

The Bantugan expose’ alleged that a city councilor brokered the illegal extraction, received the money but pocketed the same for himself.

The councilor claims he has documents, ledgers from a bingo business establishments here in the city that will show who received and how much, including signatures of alleged pay-offs of protection money.

PROTECTION MONEY
Reports of protection money paid-off to cityhall had long been discussed in silence, allegedly exacted from illegal business proliferating in the city, like illegal gambling, sale of pirated compacts discs (CDs), lewd shows in nightly entertainment joints, prostitution and hotels harboring such activities,

Businesses not giving such pay-offs are allegedly harassed and eventually padlocked by cityhall.

These unverified reports re-surfaced this week after such noise of protection money reached the halls of the Sangguniang Panlungsod Friday.

As the Bantugan expose’ was feasted in the airlanes, City Councilor Zenaido “Djingo” Rama called yesterday morning on the radio program “Ang Mayor sa Dakbayan” to clarify insinuations that he is the subject of the expose’.

NOT ME
Rama explained to program hosts Boy Guingguing and Atty. Salvador Diputado that there is no such thing as “protection money” since, in the first place, the alluded bingo business is legal.

The bingo business referred to is the one located at the second floor of the Island City Mall, this city, reportedly owned by Chinese businessman Lim Kit Kai, who has other business interests in Mindanao and all over the country.

“The truth of the matter is that I am one of the Boholano investors to the bingo business when it opened in the city. I invested P500,000 to it while another businessman John Yap also invested the same amount. The investment was made when I was not yet a city councilor,” Rama clarified.

WHO’S INTEREST?
Rama disclosed that it was city mayor Dan Lim himself who enticed him to invest in the bingo business. But after their relationship got sour, it was also the city mayor who asked Lim Kit Kai to divest him as business partner.

As of now, he is no longer connected with the bingo business, Rama said.

“If I received money from Lim Lit Kai, those were my legitimate share of my investment and not as protection money to be shared by city councilors.”

“All these are imaginary and are products of dirty minds that are accustomed to such practices of extracting protection money from investors in the city,” Rama added.

Councilor Bnatugan said on radio yesterday that an investigating panel is already formed, headed by city legal officer Doni Piquero to look into the matter.

“If there is such investigation, I will face it,” Rama told the STANDARD last night.


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