.. 
WALANG ibang dapat sisihin si Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong sa pagkaka dawit sa katiwalian kundi ang kanyang sarili, ayon kay House Infra Comm co-chairman at Bicol Saro partylist Rep. Terry Ridon.
“Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong has only himself to blame for his current woes in the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI). It is the height of hypocrisy for a public official who styles himself as a champion of transparency, accountability, and good governance to reject public scrutiny of projects within his own local government,” wika ni Ridon.
Partikular na tinukoy ng kongresista ang aniya’y paandar ni Magalong sa pagdinig ng Senate Committee on Science and Technology para sa panukalang Philippine National Budget Blockchain Act.
“The reason for scrutiny of a particular project is not marginal—it is highly relevant, as it involves one of the central personalities in flood control corruption: the Discayas and one of their key firms. This directly tests Mayor Magalong’s integrity and commitment to transparency, as he himself, as the city’s Head of Procuring Entity, has engaged a contractor linked to ghost and substandard projects,” dagdag ng kongresista.
Ayon kay Ridon, inamin din naman ni Magalong na ang P110-million Baguio City tennis court and parking building project, bagama’t naigawad sa St. Gerrard Construction Company noong 2022, sub-contractor lamang kausap ng Baguio City government.
“Mayor Magalong even admitted today that the city had only been dealing with a subcontractor—precisely the type of anomalous arrangement being flagged in both House and Senate panels as indicative of substandard and questionable projects,” giit pa ng mambabatas.
“To be clear, there is no allegation at this point that the P110-million Baguio City tennis court project is tainted with corruption, or that city officials received kickbacks from the Discayas. There is, however, a legitimate allegation that the project may be substandard—giving the public every reason to ask questions. And more importantly, even the loudest champions of good governance should never reject scrutiny of their own projects,” pasaring ng mambabatas.
Para kay Ridon, nakakabingi ang pananahimik ni Magalong sa tennis court and parking building project ng lungsod.
“This failure to disclose and his continuing rejection of scrutiny do not speak well of his actual commitment to transparency, accountability, and good governance—particularly when it comes to his own affairs.” (ROMER R. BUTUYAN)
