Corruption conjugated

THE STINK wafting out of this local government unit’s open dumpsite and industrial chimneys smells like fragrant ylang-ylang – compared to the stench rising out of the rottenness of the SOP’s imposed by what is dubbed the “conjugal maladministration” lording over the LGU.

Conjugal there referencing partnership, not necessarily sanctioned by either Church or state. Maladministration construing devious twisting of governmental procedures beneficial solely to the partners – one sitting where the other once sat.

Sitting One, naturally, takes charge of the official acts – religiously at the town hall; Once Sat, of the unbecoming ones – usually at mall coffeeshops. The modus?

Contractor of Principal Developer comes to the municipio with the plan of a warehouse and cold storage facility to be built on a lot developer has long owned in town.

A perfunctory review of the plans, and Contractor is given the go signal for the project, but only after paying the “development fee” of over P1 million, based on the per square assessment of the lot.

Land development starts with raising ground elevation, the site being a flood plain. So Contractor sources filling materials from quarry sites approved by the environmental and natural resources offices.

Contractor has barely dumped five truckfuls when men from the municipal engineer’s office come with a stoppage order that do not cite any violation or non-compliance that warranted it.

Clueless, Contractor seeks explanation directly from Sitting One who indulges him with a meeting, not at the municipio but at a posh hotel in the premier city – at Contractor’s expense.

There, Contractor gets the surprise of his life finding face-to-face not only with Sitting One but with Once Sat too, smug as the crocodile that just devoured the carabao.

There and then, in no uncertain terms, Sitting One tells Contractor that the supply of filling materials for all construction in the town is exclusive to Once Sat.

To Contractor’s protestation of the blatant illegality of such diktat, Sitting One simply replies it is an “unbreakable” SOP, so “Take it, or no project.”

Still-smug Once Sat sweet-lemoning Contractor with an offer to buy-out his pantambak contract for P2 million, igniting a spontaneous combustion of cussing in the latter. That Once Sat sneeringly smiles off.

The day after the meeting, Contractor gets call from Principal Developer telling him – with profuse apologies – that his share of the tambakan has been reduced to 30 percent with Once Sat “generously compromising” to get “only 70 percent” of the whole package.

Off-record, Principal Developer intimating to Contractor that Sitting One has constrained him with the “Take it, or no project” ultimatum.  

Concerned Friend of Contractor takes the story to Higher Authority. His whispers – not really careless – audible enough for this nosy, “ear-sy” journalist to make a column out of it.   

No names, for now. Sorry, I am not that keen -- yet – to court another libel case.

But see red – literally and figuratively – and find those conjugatedly corrupted characters in this story stand out.