Bogus worker solicits on councilor's behalf

CEBU, Philippines -  Mandaue City Councilor Demetrio "Jun" Cortes has warned not to give cash to persons who are allegedly using his office to solicit money for cash prizes for the ongoing Mayor's Cup.

Cortes was alarmed after he learned that a man who identified himself as "Mario Bacalso" claimed as part of Cortes' staff and allegedly solicited prizes for the Mayor's Cup.

The councilor was surprised last week when Bacalso went to the city motorpool, where the councilor is also holding an office, and asked from personnel there to furnish him a copy of the "suppliers" of motorpool office so he could approach them one by one and solicit.

Luckily, the personnel told they could not release to him the list of suppliers as they still had to ask permission from Cortes. Bacalso left cellphone nos. 09233510990 through which he could be reached in case the list was ready for pick up.

He then left the motorpool on board a motorcycle and went to the Subangdaku Barangay Hall and started soliciting from the employees there as Barangay Captain Ernie Manatad was not around.

Cortes believed that the impersonator might have already solicited cash for the said event.

Cortes decided to seek the help of reporters so that Mandauehanons will not be victimized by the suspect as he did not task any of his staff to go around and solicit for the event.

Cortes, brother of Mayor Jonas Cortes and committee chairman on social services of the city council, said he could not task anyone to solicit for the said event considering that the city has already appropriated cash prizes for the event.

The Mayor's Cup is a sports event initiated by the city government in line with the activities of city's fiesta on May 8. Employees of different offices are participating the sports event.

Cortes urged the public to immediately report to him the whereabouts of said person so he could be arrested.  (FREEMAN)