‘Exposing anomalies is my way of serving you’ - Tabuk mayoralty candidate Dao-as

Tabuk City, Kalinga – Vice Mayor Bernard Glenn ‘Pio’ Dao-as who is now running for City Mayor of Tabuk stressed that fighting against anomalies in the government is his way of showing his care to the public whom he serves.

During his motorcade and kick-off rally this March 25, 2022, Dao-as explained to supporters that although he had no infra projects because he was not given even a cent as funding for such, he did not stop exposing anomalies in government transactions. He alleged that Mayor Darwin Estranero defunded his office when he started questioning anomalous transactions of the City Government of Tabuk, beginning with the 1.8 hectares lot that the CLGU bought for around P47 million in 2019.

“Tatta kakailyan, dumawdawat nak iti pasensiya kanyayu ta awan met garud iti naited ko nga infrastructure … ta sipud met garud nagtugaw tayo kas bise mayor iti siyudad iti Tabuk, uray binting, awan met garud iti inbingay da a pondo kadatayo,” he said.

Given the situation, Dao-as conveyed he focused on public service and on telling the truth to the people whose tax is being spent on personal gains by public officials.

“Awan naar-aramidan tayo iti infrastructure ta awan garud iti inted da a pondo ngem dayta panangdillaw tayo iti madi nga aramid a mangmangyari dita city hall ket panagkunak ket dakkel la unay a panangisakit kanyayo a kailyan a taga Tabuk,” he expressed.

Dao-as has been known as one among the staunch critics of the current administration in Tabuk City, filing charges at the Ombudsman for alleged corruption at the city hall.

“Dayta a pondo ket kwarta tayo amin dayta apo, haan a kwartan iti maymaysa a tao dayta, kwarta tayo amin dayta ket rumbeng lang nga isakit ko da kayo kakailyan ta dakayo met ngarud iti nagpatugaw kanyami. Awan kami dita apo nu haan yu dakami binotosan,” he said.

‘Haan nak nalaing ngem adda prinsipyok’

Dao-as acknowledged that he is not as intelligent as many politicians, however, it is he who sacrificed and risked everything he has just to fight anomalies.

“Ket panagkunak, dagiay a ta awan pay met iti nakaar-aramid a politician ditoy siyudad tayo a Tabuk a nangisakripisyo iti amin tapnu iti kasta dillawen na iti madi nga aramid,” he expressed.

The Vice Mayor said that while he is not as brilliant as other public servants, he has principles that ground him to stick to what is right.

“Ngem nagadu nakitak a politician tayo ditoy Tabuk, ditoy Kalinga, nagtatakneng da, naglalaing da, abogado da ngem awan met pulos prinsipyo da,” he cited.

His suspension

Dao-as also discredited claims that it is not worth voting for him for the mayoral race since he can’t serve if he wins due to his suspension.

“Haan kayo mamatpati idiay ibagbaga da a sayang lang iti botos yu kenni Dao-as ta haan met lang a makatugaw nu isu iti mangabak. Haan nga agpaysu dagiay apo, dagiay iti kunkunada a panangperdi,” he said.

The Vice Mayor was suspended last December 2021 due to land conversion issues that stemmed from backfilling his agricultural lot for commercial purposes when he was still the barangay captain of Appas. He said that his violation was he didn’t get clearance from the Department of Agrarian Reform before he converted the agricultural lot.

“Haan aya a datayo a taga Tabuk gagangay na a nu daga tayo iti daga, gaburan tayo man latta, haan aya? Ngem iti linteg gayam, sakbay mo a gaburan iti dagam, agala ka iti clearance mo idiay DAR,” he said.

“Isu nga diay apo iti violation tayo. Land conversion. Diay agricultural, pinagbalin tayo a commercial. Isu diay apo iti nakasuspendean tayo. Tatta uray nu nasuspende tayo apo, makataray tayo latta,” he added.

‘Mabalin met nga bagik lang kuma pinanpanunut ko’

With the challenges he had to go through for telling the truth and for fighting corruption, Dao-as mentioned that he could have avoided them and just thought about himself and received the money but he didn’t since he owe to the people to serve them.

“Ta nu awanak met a tinmakder a vice mayor yu iti Tabuk a nagibutbutaktak kadagita a madi nga aramid ket haan yu met ammu dagiti maar-aramid. Kasanun ngay nu bagbagik laeng iti innak panpanunuten?” he said.

Dao-as clarified that fighting anomalies is not a political game to him and not to dishonor the integrity of a public servant.

“Kada agsao da kadagiti pammabasol tayo kada isuda, pulitika lang dayta kunkunada. Dapat na ket sungbatan da kuma met a iti nasayaat, haan nga puro ibaga da lang a panangperdi lang dayta,” he said.

Dao-as is running as independent but mentioned he is with Placido Alsiyang Jr., Wilver Boclongan, Atty. Errol Comafay Jr., and Edwin Hidalgo as his councilors.

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