Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong has dropped another bombshell after revealing in an exclusive interview the alleged strategy of big-time congressmen in hiding their money.
In the interview, the mayor was asked how deep his knowledge is regarding government corruption.
The mayor admitted that some people provide him with information and that he is able to verify it.
He said that corrupt government officials no longer use ordinary vaults to hide money, but rather “room vaults.”
“When you are talking about P1 billion and you stock that, and P1,000 that’s about 5 feet by 5 feet by four feet,” according to Magalong. “Are you aware that if you are stealing P1 billion in a year that’s P2.7 million a day. How much do taxi drivers earn there, P700 imagine, the vendors P400 and they still pay taxes. They steal billions of pesos and pay no tax, so it’s really staggering. Should we just let it be, should we just stay silent?”
The mayor said it is disheartening because the money stolen from the government treasury comes from public funds and taxes paid to the government.
He revealed that one congressman allegedly boasted about the room that serves as his money hiding place.
“You know what I mentioned to you about room vaults, there is a third-party provider. The congressman got drunk and they talked. After a while, the congressman boasted, he brought his provider to the room. The provider was shocked because the amount of money there was really huge. He said, ‘Sir, it’s my first time seeing so much money in one room, I was overwhelmed,’ and he mentioned to me that his other colleagues in the House of Representatives are doing the same thing,” according to Magalong.
“That’s also the kind of information I receive from people also inside the House of Representatives. I even talked to one congressman who said, ‘You know mayor, I’m embarrassed by my colleagues, I myself am ashamed. They are no longer using cash vaults, they’re using room vaults,’ he said,” the mayor added.
He said this is the reason why some corrupt politicians buy expensive condo units for tight security.
“So their money is very secure there,” the mayor said.
When asked if his informants are ready to come forward, Magalong said, “You know, our informants are very afraid. Our informants don’t just show up, they are very afraid to face me.”
For now, he said there are no threats to his life, but Magalong assured that he will continue to expose corruption in the government.
