Second graft complaint filed vs Pasig mayor; CA confirms Cacdac as DMW secretary
Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto has been charged with a second graft complaint in the Office of the Ombudsman, this time accusing him of not distributing a one-time cash allowance of P1,500 each to city hall employees for the city’s 452nd founding anniversary last month. Also named as respondents in the complaint filed on July 30 were Elvira Flores, head of the city’s human resource development office; Jeronimo Manzanero, city administrator; and Josephine Lati-Bagaoisan, head of the bids and awards committee.
The complainant, a Pasig resident identified as Michelle Prudencio, claimed that instead of distributing the cash allowance, Sotto gave away “Araw ng Pasig” T-shirts on June 28 and made the employees sign acknowledgement receipts that they had received the money. She also questioned whether the purchase of the shirts went through the legal bidding process. Sotto has yet to respond to the Inquirer’s request for comment. But he attributed the first graft complaint filed against him, for supposedly wiping out a company’s multi-million tax debt, to dirty political tactics. —KATHLEEN DE VILLA
CA confirms Cacdac as DMW secretary
The Commission on Appointments (CA) on Tuesday officially approved the ad interim appointment of Hans Leo Cacdac as Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) secretary. Earlier in the day, the CA committee on labor, employment, social welfare, and migrant workers chaired by Negros Occidental Rep. Mercedes Alvarez endorsed his confirmation at the committee level after the opposition of four individuals to his appointment was terminated as “baseless and unfounded.” According to Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel,
among the complaints raised against Cacdac were issues related to policies during the COVID-19 pandemic, the recent hacking of the DMW digital system, alleged neglect of overseas Filipino workers whose visas expired in Russia, and the recent hostage-taking incident of Filipino sailors by Houthi rebels. “Are these under the control of Secretary Cacdac?”
Pimentel asked, adding that the accusations were general in nature and being orchestrated as part of a demolition job against the DMW secretary. President Marcos reappointed Cacdac in May after his appointment was bypassed when Congress adjourned sessions sine die. Cacdac, in turn, said he was elated and grateful for his confirmation. “I am just thankful to the President and we are ready to roll up our sleeves,” he said. Cacdac took over the DMW after then Secretary Susan “Toots” Ople died in August 2023. —TINA G. SANTOS
