Corruption at Davao City Council - Update 10

Militar, Baluran trade
barbs in graft probe
By ROGER M. BALANZA

A remark at a council ethics body hearing yesterday by councilor Bonifacio Militar that his time is not worth spending in debating with somebody not of his own level, led to a brief, but hot verbal exchange with councilor Conrado Baluran.

Militar had earlier accused Baluran of reportedly brokering approval of legislative proposals apparently with a price tag, prompting the committee on ethics chaired by councilor Diosdado Mahipus to conduct a probe.

Militar resigned as floor leader last month, after accusing a councilor for allegedly brokering approval of legislative proposals outside of council house rules.

He would tag Baluran as the “broker” during a privilege speech later after his resignation.

Militar and Baluran were at the hearing, the second called by Mahipus, after they failed to attend the first held before the Lenten season.

As a lawyer and a former law dean, my time is not worth spending in a debate with somebody who is not of my own level, Militar told the hearing.

Baluran did not take the attack on his ego sitting down and hit back with his own verbal fireworks.

We are both councilors. My constituents elected me like you so do not talk about you being in the higher level, Baluran told Militar.

But Militar pushed the attack further with a scorecard.

“I was elected six times as a councilor. You were voted only twice,” he said.

Militar’s blast came after he called Baluran a ‘liar,” after the councilor denied all the allegations hurled at him by the former floor leader.

In the hearing, Mahipus gave Militar time to repeat his accusation and Baluran to rebut the same charges that include brokering approval of a Robinsons housing permit application, a tax exemption for a church-sponsored fund-raising project and a memorandum agreement between the city government and several national government agencies on a farm production project. Militar said Baluran attempted to sway him into breaking house rules to accommodate the proposals.

Mahipus said the ethics body would terminate proceedings after hearing the Militar and Baluran and would be coming up with a recommendation to put closure to the issue that he said damaged the image of the city council.