HINIHILING ng Citizens Crime Watch (CCW) sa Office of the Ombudsman na magbigay ng update sa 2022 charges laban sa dating punong lungsod dahil sa paglabag sa Republic Act No. 3019 na may kaugnayan sa kontrobersyal na P1.4 billion sale ng Divisoria Market.

Nabatid na natengga ang imbestigasyon sa tanggapan ni Ombudsman Samuel Martires.

Ang request na may lagda nina Atty. Ferdinand Topacio at Diego Magpantay, sa Office of the Ombudsman ay nagsasaad na “it is of public knowledge that sometime in August 2020, former Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso sold the famous Divisoria Public Market for P1,446,966,000 to an “Ermita-based” private firm named “Festina Holdings, Inc…. according to news reports, the tenant-vendors of Divisoria were not consulted or informed of the plan to sell the market.”

Ang kontrobersyal na bentahan ang siyang subject ngayon ng pagbusisi at kontrobersya na noong 2022, ang mga kinatawan ng Divisoria Public Market Credit Cooperative ay nagsampa ng reklamo sa Ombudsman laban kay Isko Moreno dahil sa mga paglabag sa Republic Act No. 3019 o Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

“Notably, this is not the only time that Domagoso has been suspected of corrupt practice, as in the same year that the aforementioned complaint was filed, separate criminal and administrative charges were also filed against Domagoso before the Office of the Ombudsman in relation to the implementation of the no contact apprehension policy, including graft and corruption, violation of data privacy act, code of ethical conduct for public officials, oppression and abuse of authority, violation of due process and excessive penalties clause and violation of the Government Procurement Reform Act,” saad ni Topacio.

Ayon kay Topacio, ang kahilingan ng kanilang grupo ay bilang tugon sa 14 na liham mula sa aggrieved vendors ng Divisoria na nagrereklamo sa bentahan na ginawa nang wala man lang konsultasyon o abiso sa mga naapektuhan na napagkaitan ng nasabing bentahan ng kanilang kabuhayan.

“Given the peculiar circumstances under which the sale was conducted, and that there is already a plethora of existing cases against Domagoso for graft and corrupt practice, among others, there is good reason to believe that the sale was indeed tainted with illegal and corrupt intent,” sabi pa ni Topacio.

Iginiit naman ng abogado na sa kabila na hindi na mayor si Domagoso, kailangan pa rin niyang panagutan ang mga corrupt at unjust practice noong panahon na siya ay alkalde pa ng Maynila, kung mayroon man.

Ang CCW, ay nationwide anti-crime watchdog na nakarehistro sa Securities and Exchange Commission mula 1992. Nakipag-partner na rin ito sa Department of the Interior and Local Government bilang force multiplier at sa COMELEC bilang poll monitoring group sa krusada nito laban sa krimen at para sa good governance. (JESSE KABEL RUIZ)