Corruption at Davao City Council - Update 11

Baluran seeks peace with Boni

Davao City councilor Conrado Baluran wants to smoke the peace pipe with colleague councilor Bonifacio Militar, even as he continues to deny the latter’s accusation he tried to broker approval of questionable legislative proposals.

My respect for him remains, said Baluran, who admits relations by affinity with Militar. He said his late father was a second cousin to Militar’s late wife and still considers him his uncle.

I hope somebody would step in for our reconciliation, said Baluran admitting he wants to end the sad episode that pitted him against Militar.

Militar resigned last month as floor leader and stirred a controversy with a resignation letter that alleged about a councilor pushing him to accommodate legislation by breaking house rules. He would later identify Baluran as the councilor he alluded to.

The committee on ethics has wrapped up a probe on the Militar allegation. But committee chairman Diosdado Mahipus said there was no strong case against Baluran, there being no concrete evidence to pin him down.

It appears that there was only a violation of house rules, said Mahipus at an ethics hearing on Monday. He said the most the committee, which will report out a committee report next week, could do was probably reprimand Baluran. Militar himself had admitted Baluran merely attempted to sway him into accommodating the proposals involving among others a housing project application.

Militar had earlier said there was no problem with him if the issue between him and Baluran comes to an end.

“It will depend on him. I have no problem,” he told media.