ShareThisMANILA – Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson, Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, Vice Mayor Isko Moreno and 18 councilors have been charged with graft for allowing the construction of Adriatico Gardens condominium in violation of a public easement near Manila Zoo.
Mayor Lim
Also charged by lawyer Reynaldo Bagatsing before the Office of the Ombudsman are Highways Executive Director Emmanuel Cuntapay, Metro Manila Development Authority waterways officers Alexander Mohammad and Vilma Zabala together with Harrison Paltongan and Antonio Tan, both of Empire East Properties Inc., as private respondents.
In including Singson, Bagatsing accused him of ignoring his Aug. 23, 2010 letter to stop the project that encroached on Estero Antonio Abad.
“While squatters in esteros, creeks and waterways are being summarily evicted for having erected their shanties and structures in danger zones, there are untouchable corporate squatters who constructed their buildings within the 3-meter easement in open defiance of the National Building Code,” he said.
Bagatsing accused Cuntapay, head of the National Building Code Development Office, joined by his city counterparts Melchor Michinano, Edgar Soriano and Mario Andres, all from the Office of the Building Officials.
The complaint cited the MMDA executives for waiving the 3-meter easement which was beyond their authority to grant.
Bagatsing, whose late father was once Manila mayor, implicated Lim and fellow officials, for making a deal with Empire East that gave undue benefits to the private developer.