PRIVILEGE SPEECH OF COUNCILOR MABEL SUNGA ACOSTA
Regular Session of the 15th Council, Series of 2010
March 30, 2010 (as transcribed from City Council proceedings)
Madam President, my colleagues in the City Council, friends from the media, ladies and gentlemen, maayong buntag.
I rise on a personal and collective privilege Madam President to decry the electoral gimmicks designed at smearing my person and my candidacy.
Just this morning, I woke up to news that I am a subject of a column, and its title reads, “The Millionaire Councilor.” It was written by a columnist. . .It says here and if I may quote, “Of course, if true as published in the local media, that there’s no problem about Acosta being a multi-millionaire. By her own sworn declaration in her SAL that her net worth is P16 million she can always defend her statement. And it also says, “. . .The only trouble is when the people begin asking where she got the money because it would certainly irritate her. But she should not be offended. She is a public servant. A government official like her is subject to people’s scrutiny.” It says here that, “. . .the lady councilor receives P60,000 monthly salary, allowances and other fringe benefits in her position as lawmaker.” And it has in fact made snide remarks even against a preacher, and says that while my husband may be well paid by a billionaire preacher, “. . .we are talking of Acosta’ s net worth and not that of her husband.”
I would just like to state categorically, your Honor, that when we state assets and liabilities, it is conjugal. Therefore, whatever my husband owns, I own, and whatever I own, he also owns because it is joint. I would like to state for the record, your Honor, although I intend to prepare a detailed press statement regarding this malicious attempt to, shall we say, undermine my candidacy and perhaps, more than that, maliciously smear my reputation as a legislator and as a public servant. Madam President, for the record, my husband is a former air force pilot. When he got out of the active armed service, he had the rank of Major and worked as a corporate pilot for different companies.
I would like to state for the record, your Honor, that when my husband was a young lieutenant in the armed forces, they were offered under the Insular Government Properties a lot which is about 500 square meters at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig, Metro Manila. This is a small lot, your Honor, intended for residence of those who are in active service. He was a young lieutenant. He did not have money. So he took a loan and paid that property little by little every month, under salary deduction. It so happened that when that property became the subject of the Bases Conversion Act, when it was sold and it became private property now, the price of that property, every year increases because Fort Bonifacio as we all know is very, very near Makati City, which is the central in the business district of Metro Manila. And we all know that Fort Bonifacio now is no longer a military base but a bustling business center. And every year, and perhaps every few months, the properties --- the assets or the real estate value of that --- goes up.
Why should anybody try to impute upon me or my husband anything other than that? If it was by good turn, or by way of good fortune that my husband was able to acquire that property when he was still single and while he was still a young lieutenant, which he paid every month through salary deduction, why should it be begrudged upon him that he has now a property in Fort Bonifacio? He has served his country well and he has honestly paid for these loans that he had when he was single; and when he was a young lieutenant without the person of Mabel Acosta by his side; when he was struggling to serve his country well; when he was a gunship pilot defending his country going to Mindanao, going to places where he would put his life and limb at risk. And now, that he has the good fortune along with one thousand plus others who have served the military with all their heart, with all their mind, and with all their dedication to the country; now that the base was converted and is now prime property, why should it be begrudged upon him?
I do not have P16 million in cash, your Honor. I do have P1 million because when I was awarded Ten Most Outstanding Councilors in the Philippines, it was not only a trophy and a plaque that was awarded to me. To our surprise when we got to Cebu, I was also awarded P1 million by Senator Edgardo Angara. I could honestly say I am a millionaire, but it is only a ONE-millionaire, because we did not receive it in cash. We received P1 million, each of us ten awardees of The Most Outstanding Councilors of the Philippines, in project, not in cash, which I must utilize before the end of my term in June 30. But that, I could honestly say, the P1 million that I have is unfortunately not in cash but it is in kind.
That property, your Honor, was purchased by a very very minimum amount because it was suppose to subsidize the residence of those in the active service. And now, while it is worth millions, is not yet in our possession. It has no title yet. Why? It is because that 500 sq. meter lot in Fort Bonifacio is occupied by the Philippine Navy – it is now the Philippine Navy Golf Club. And what is supposed to be a row of houses is all green because it is presently occupied by the Philippine Navy Golf Club. Hence, we could not have it titled. And when there were new guidelines that were submitted and we were instructed in the City Council that we follow the new guidelines on the SAL, it was specifically cited, properties without titles should not be included. Henceforth, from a big SAL, our net worth went down. Note Madam President that our net worth as husband and wife started with a big amount because there were no guidelines yet saying that properties without titles should not be included. From a big SAL it went down every year because we have so many loans. We have housing loans, salary loans just like any government employee. We also have private loans, so instead of going up, our net worth was going down because we have a growing family. We have four children, that is why we have to contend with the economic crisis that is beset upon us.
I am stating this, your Honor because if my net worth kept on escalating, that would have been alarming. But note that our net worth as husband and wife has been going down. And what is the alarm there? How about congressmen, especially in the first district, whose net worth keeps on sky rocketing? In fact, there was a headline in a local newspaper that one congressman here in Davao City, his assets and liabilities actually rose by 70%. And that could not be said, your Honor, about my SAL. I am saying this, your Honor, because all these are cropping out because it is the heat of the political season. But I will not take this sitting down because it attempts to smear my credibility as a legislator or my integrity as a public servant.
Your honor, in the proper time I will give a detailed statement regarding this and I challenge this opinion writer. . .Note that there is a world of difference between an opinion column and investigative report. An opinion column only focuses on the opinion of a certain writer. An investigative report your honor is done impartially and has documents to show for it. It has a very very wide perspective and does not center on what the writer personally thinks and believes.
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On another matter Madam President, a concerned citizen sent me an SMS message with the information that several of my campaign paraphernalia in Barangay Baliok, Talomo District were taken down and burned in public by the barangay captain and one of his kagawads on Saturday evening.
Needless to say Madam President, the blazing episode is yet another politically motivated scheme aimed against me and my campaign. It seems that my enemies are no longer satisfied with simply creating and spreading black propaganda; they have upped their ante and started to physically destroy my campaign posters, without any thought to the money and sweat poured into their production, or to the fact that they are committing an election offense by doing so.
Destruction of the campaign materials aside, what is more grim and repugnant about the whole incident, Madam President, is that it was committed by public officials. The malefactors, according to the accounts and text messages, are the barangay captain and a barangay kagawad of Baliok, individuals who have the privilege and fortune of being elected to public office. That they have been elected into office does not exempt them from observing the law, nor are they immune from criminal prosecution. Their position does not make them privileged citizens of this city. The mandate to serve the public by virtue of their election does not make them any more different from the rest of us.
Public office is a public trust, so provides the 1987 Philippine Constitution. Hence, public officers and employees must at all times be accountable to the people, serve them with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty, and efficiency, act with patriotism and justice, and lead modest lives. Accordingly, the barangay captain and the barangay kagawad concerned, as persons in authority, should be the epitome of respectability, trustworthiness, and proper decorum, and their conduct should always be above reproach. In the same breath, if and when they see or get reports, they should be the ones to reprimand citizens who commit these acts and bring them to face the full force of the law.
I understand that political partisanship cannot be avoided, and barangay officials cannot always observe political neutrality. But let it be said Madam President, that elective officials are first and foremost public servants and they have an accountability to the public, and their commitment to their constituents who elected them to such position supersedes any political allegiance they may have.
Let this incident serve as a warning that malicious and premeditated acts intended to destroy or tarnish a candidate’s person or campaign will not be tolerated. Let us all be reminded that respect for each other and one another’s property is paramount for the conduct of a free, orderly, and honest election in Davao City.
Daghang salamat Madam President og maayong buntag kanatong tanan.
MABEL SUNGA ACOSTA
City Councilor, 1st District
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