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Sunday, June 21, 2020

Malicious, Dangerous! Mayor Beng fights trolls, propagandists

ZAMBOANGA CITY Mayor Beng Climaco has branded as “malicious and very dangerous” the false information and fake news being peddled by her foes and political trolls amid the coronavirus pandemic.



Climaco blasted propagandists who are spreading fake news on social media, particularly on Facebook, and especially on the issue of the rising number of Covid-19 infections and the late releasing of test results by health authorities.

“Actualmente este insinuations are very malicious and very dangerous, as Local Chief Executive you do not know what it feels every time I received a (report of Covid) positive case. No one would want to endanger Zamboanga City, aquellos que tiene malicioso pensamiento que ta pensa que ta queda kita alegre na maga caso positivo is very dangerous. Poreso gane este maga tiempo mas bueno pa si concentra ya lang kita na de atun trabaho imbes de hace calayat maga false information.”

“We are really praying that every Zamboangueño be healed because if every Zamboangueño is healed then Zamboanga City will be able to recover. Stop insinuating and stop accusing (and) let us work together for the benefit of Zamboanga City,” Climaco said.

Working Hard

She said the local task force on Covid-19 and health authorities are exercising all measures to ensure public safety despite being under the General Community Quarantine based on the decision of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases and approved by President Rodrigo Duterte.

“We are really exercising every ounce of safety measures and sometimes people think the City Government is very slow, but we have to be safe than sorry,” Climaco said, adding, the local government has to set three vital measures to further combat the spread of the deadly Covid-19 disease following the emergence of new positive cases.

“We have to set three very important measures: One is to strengthen the monitoring in our barangay health emergency response; second is to provide opportunity for data collection and contact tracing and next, we need to also prepare system and a module where every individual Zamboangueño is responsible enough when they are in public. So these three (important measures) have to be set in place so that we will be able to be in a more relaxed, new normal process in the city of Zamboanga,” she said.

“Na favor de Dios, el de atun maga paciente de Covid-19 ta recobre embuenamente con el amor, ayuda y compacion del de atun mga medical front-liners pero mientras tiene ta recobre, tiene tamen ta umenta el caso. We need to remain vigilant and to continue carrying out the minimum health protocols. To move forward and to rise from the challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, we need to balance el de atun health and the economy poreso ay esperanza kita el declaracion del national IATF so cosa ya ba el status del ciudad de Zamboanga,” Climaco added.

City Health Officer Dr. Dulce Amor Miravite was also saddened by the spread of the black propaganda, saying, health authorities are working hard to ensure the safety of everyone against the Covid-19.

Welfare Goods

Even the welfare goods distributed to families affected by the health crisis were not spared by those trying to besmirch the reputation of the mayor.

Anti-Climaco trolls and black propagandists even made an issue on the 250,000 bags of rice purchased by the local government from 5MJ Marketing and distributed to households in all 98 barangays here. They accused the local government of favoring 5MJ Marketing despite the strict procurement process followed by the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) headed by Erwin Bernardo.

Bernardo repeatedly rejected allegations of overpricing in the purchase of the rice. He said the acquisition of rice went through negotiated procurement under emergency case, particularly in the instance, “when time is of the essence arising from natural or man-made calamities.”

He said the BAC approved the purchase of rice at P1,300 per 25 kilo-bag after the supplier, 5MJ Marketing, submitted all legal documents required by laws.

Bernardo explained that in order to determine whether the supplier is technically, legally and financially capable to address the emergency, BAC required 5MJ Marketing to submit the following documents – the PhilGeps (Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System) Platinum Certificate, Omnibus Sworn Statement, Latest Income Tax Returns and Business Permit.

He said aside from the submission of the documents, it is very important that the supplier has an excellent track record with the procuring entity.  “It is equally important to use the contents of the PhilGEPS electronic registry of suppliers to determine the eligibility of a supplier relative to its past transactions with other entities of the government,” he said, adding, “the procurement of rice was done within the bounds of the procurement law and the price is reasonable based on the prevailing market price.”

Bernardo said the procurement of rice went through the process and it was done within the bounds of the procurement law and the price is reasonable based on the prevailing market price. “It cannot be denied that we are in a state of worldwide calamity. Hence, this alternative mode of procurement was resorted to instead of the usual competitive bidding because it relates to time element as the primordial reason,” he said.

Probe

Councilor Joselito Macrohon, a political ally of defeated mayoralty candidate Celso Lobregat, has sent a letter to Duterte in May asking for an investigation into the rice purchase. But Councilor Cesar Jimenez said there is nothing to investigate since no administrative case has been filed against anyone involved in the rice purchase.

“Aserca del carta de Consejal Lit-lit Macrohon, el de mio mensaje na maga miembros del Consejo local, hace ustedes el de ustedes trabajo de legislacion. Si tiene ustedes ta mira anomalia na comprada del arroz, y si ta mira ustedes ya aprovecha yo, go ahead and vote and have me investigated I have nothing to hide,” Climaco said.

“Bien mucho problema el ciudad y el entero mundo por causa del pandemic, as mayor of Zamboanga City, I have a sworn duty to the people I serve. We did what we need to do, with God’s grace, heal the sick and feed the hungry. Solamente el administracion na favor de Dios, de Beng Climaco el ya puede dale  un saco arroz na cada familia - mas de 300,000 mil familia - aquellos que ta alborota y ta hace grande con este issue del arroz por que aquel tiempo del de ustedes amo ya puede ba dale un saco arroz na maga pobre? Contesta.”

Climaco said Zamboanga is facing a health crisis, yet her foes continue to take advantage of the pandemic in destroying the unified efforts of the local government in addressing the Covid-19 situation because of vested political interest.

“Bien grande el problema ahora, man politica pa kita? Nosabe gane kita hasta cuando este crisis, nosabe gane kita si quien esta vivo y quien el despide y bien lejos pa gayot el eleccion, bien mucho ta gasta, ta basya cen alli na maga Facebook (sponsored) pages para hace malo con este administracion. Apurao man gayot man compania, ta tomo bentaja na situacion siendo bien busy kita atende con el necesidad, trabaja anay para protecta con el ciudad. I need to keep my focus on the urgent task as Mayor rather than answering all your insinuations,” Climaco said.

“I need to work because this is my sworn duty and the people of Zamboanga elected me to serve you as your Mayor, to protect our City most especially in this time of the pandemic. With God’s grace and la Virgen Nuestra Señora del Pilar, este el de mio tercer termino que ustedes ya dale el victoria para sirvir con ustedes and I will not fail the people of Zamboanga. I will continue to do what is needed to protect our people and focus on what matters in this time of the pandemic with God’s grace, to heal the sick and feed the hungry,” she added.

Climaco’s political supporters have previously denounced what they claimed was an orchestrated black propaganda peddled in social media, especially in sponsored public groups believed being funded by anti-Climaco forces.

The black propaganda, they said is being used to attack Climaco’s integrity and her strong moral principles, and moral uprightness. And even the local government’s welfare programs are being maligned anti-Climaco groups to reinforce the spread of fake news on social media.

Climaco’s political advisers also echoed the same suspicion and said all the black propaganda and fake news against the mayor is part of a strategy as early as today in preparation for the next elections. One of her adviser’s likened these black propagandists to a cancer cell that multiplies and attacks the good cells, but “the mayor’s hard work and outstanding and transparent governance is like a strong antibody that completely destroys the cancer.”

This is Climaco’s last and final term and several political personalities are eyeing the top post and the vice mayoralty position, including the two congressional seats. (Zamboanga Post)


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