‘Mansiongate’ Down South

The mayor of Cagayan de Oro City who is a close friend of disgraced president Joseph Estrada finds himself in the center of an imbroglio over a mansion allegedly given to him by Estrada.

By HERBIE GOMEZ

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The mayor of this city who has close ties with former president Joseph Estrada has found himself in the center of an imbroglio no different from some of those that hounded Estrada out of office.

Mayor Vicente Emano has been accused by his political opponents of receiving a “mansion” as a gift from Estrada. He has denied the charge, insisting that the house is not a mansion.

But he admitted in interviews here that he received a total of P200,000 from Estrada, who would give him P50,000 on several occasions. Emano maintained that the amount could not have been used to build the house on a hilltop in barangay Macasandig, this city. The property is said to be worth between P3 and P4 million.

Emano, however, evaded questions from journalists here about his failure to declare the property in his statement of assets and liabilities, insisting that “the issue is whether or not the house is a mansion.”

On Friday last week, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said here that graft investigators should look into the allegations that Estrada gifted Emano with the house shortly after the 1998 elections.

"It should be looked into," Arroyo said during her first visit in Mindanao since assuming the presidency in January.

Not A Mansion?

Last week, bar topnotcher Aquilino Martin Pimentel III, the son of Senate president Aquilino Pimentel Jr., called on Malacanang and the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) to investigate the mansion issue. The young Pimentel is running for mayor of this city against the reelectionist Emano.

"It's not really a mansion, it's just a house that looks big from the outside because of its pointed roof," said a source close to Emano. "It's just an ordinary house with so many chairs in it and not much furniture."

The house may be “ordinary” but it is standing on an extraordinarily large land of about 3,000 square meters, which, the source said, Emano got for a “give-away” price. The lot is 30 times bigger than those being offered in local low-cost housing subdivisions.

A high concrete fence hides the house from public view. Its lawn is well-landscaped. It also has a mini-zoo with a variety of doves and other exotic species, including a crocodile from Palawan which Emano calls Congcoy, after his estranged cousin and bitter political rival, ex-congressman Victorico Chaves of Misamis Oriental. Emano, whose nickname is Dongkoy, used to be the governor of that province.

Reporters who visited the mansion over the weekend found two high-powered telescopes that could identify anybody who enters the swanky Pryce Plaza Hotel a couple of kilometers away. The property also offers a breathtaking view of the city down below.

Longtime Friend

A source close to Emano who requested anonymity said the property was developed with the help of a construction company run by the mayor’s close friend and longtime political supporter Norris Babiera.

Babiera, who briefly served as acting governor of Misamis Oriental under the Aquino administration, is now seeking a seat in the Misamis Oriental provincial board under the party of Emano’s protégée, Misamis Oriental Governor Antonio Calingin.

"I don't think Emano spent much for that house. P4 million would be too much," the source said.

Nevertheless, Emano did not include his Macasandig property in his statement of assets and liabilities, contrary to the law, nor did he pay taxes for it, according to acting city assessor Norberto Cosadio. Cosadio had served as Emano's provincial assessor when the mayor was still governor. In 1998, after winning the mayoralty race in this city, Emano plucked Cosadio out of retirement and appointed him city assessor.

Emano continues to evade questions regarding his failure to declare the property in his statements of assets and liabilities or how much exactly he had spent for it.

Emano said the main issue was on whether or not it was a mansion. He also said he would give the lock and key to the house to anyone who can prove that it's a mansion.

He admitted to reporters from the Philippine Daily Inquirer that Estrada would give him P50,000 every time the two of them met. He said Estrada would give him and other mayors money for their hotel bills in Manila. All in all, Emano claimed to have received only P200,000 from Estrada.

Estrada was driven out of Malacanang last month after Filipinos took to the streets all over the country, outraged over the move by pro-Estrada senators to suppress evidence that the prosecution team at the impeachment trial deemed damning to Estrada.

On Wednesday, the Senate opened the second envelope containing this supposed evidence. Senators who witnessed the opening said the evidence in the envelope corroborated Senate testimonies that Estrada maintained multi-billion accounts.

Estrada was accused of bribery, graft, culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust. Among the charges leveled against him was that he gave mansions to several of his mistresses. Prosecutors believed that the money used in buying these mansions came from jueteng, tobacco-tax kickbacks and commissions from corporate takeovers. #