Moreno: Klarex Camp using ‘Squid Tactics’ By Mona Lagbas

Moreno: Klarex Camp using ‘Squid Tactics’

By Mona Lagbas

Cagayan de Oro City, Jan. 15,2024_In a written reply to the Klarex Uy administration’s recent attacks against his alleged accounts payables to Xavier University for the use of XU’s facilities during the COVID 19 pandemic, former three-term city mayor Oscar S. Moreno accused the present dispensation of using “squid tactics” in an alleged attempt to discredit the latter.

​Moreno, in a two-page press release, said that the attackers “clearly show the abject lack of understanding on the part of the attackers and their principals of fundamental and sound governance principles in public administration”.

​Moreno added that Xavier University’s facilities, namely the Searsolin and Manresa dorms, were parts of the 40+ City Isolation Units {CIU’s} and Temporary Treatment Facilities {TTMF’ s} used to house those who tested positive of the Covid 19 virus and their close contacts, isolating them from the rest of the population and that it is “absolutely and totally ridiculous that Moreno left behind “obligations that accumulated for 25 months for their use.  He said that the accusations against him are a “product of their bankrupt imagination”. Moreno maintains that this is totally false and that they obviously have not checked their records.

​Citing the basic principle of “continuity in governance”, Moreno said that government units must continue to function uninterruptedly notwithstanding any change in leadership. He stressed that it is not as if a new leader has nothing to do with the obligations previously incurred by the government that he now leads.

​The former Local Chief Executive that if the present administration had checked perfunctorily, they would have realized that Philhealth has paid more or less P30 million for the claims of the city government on account of Philhealth’s coverage of these CIU’s and TTMF’s.

Moreno said that even during the economic hardship brought about by the pandemic, the LGU then found ways to augment their income to efficiently respond to the enormous challenges and caused 40 or more of these facilities to be accredited with Philhealth, thereby generating income from them. Morenos insists that when he left office in June of 2022, the City government had outstanding claims from Philhealth amounting to P30 million and that he hopes that the Uy administration has pursued these claims.

​Moreno, a lawyer by profession, regrets that his administration has been projected as a heartless obligor by the Klarex Uy administration and calls this projection as absolutely irresponsible and a blatant lie. However, Moreno understands that the Klarex Uyadministration had to resort to these senseless attacks as a desperate attempt to use “squid tactics”.

Instead, Moreno hopes that the Klarex administration attends to what he called “mounting payables covering basic operating expenses like mounting government salaries of regular employees”, that Moreno says is getting more serious every day.