CUIZON
REGIONAL director Ahmed Cuizon of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said yesterday that he is open to any government agency investigation into his financial status.
He said this after a certain Fidel Y. Go filed a request to the Ombudsman-Visayas for a lifestyle check and investigation into Cuizon’s alleged unexplained wealth last March 4.
“As a public servant, I am open for any lifestyle probes and investigations. And I am very willing to cooperate with the Ombudsman if they will grant Go’s request,” Cuizon said in a phone interview.
In his request, Go questioned Cuizon’s acquisition of a brand new car and his new home in a “plush subdivision” in Lapu-Lapu City.
“If these were not declared in his SALN (Statement of Assets and Liabilities) then these are matters worth probing particularly the manner of its acquisition and most importantly the source of funds used to buy them,” Go stated.
Go claimed that he heard rumors that Cuizon’s brand new Toyota Innova was a gift from a “big transport company.” He also said Cuizon’s home is worth millions of pesos.
“I will personally invite them to check our house. As far as I’ve heard, they say our house is made out of glass when in fact, it’s made mostly of wood. We had this house since 1996 and for 20 years, we poured and spent some portions of me and my wife’s combined income to pay loans to settle here,” Cuizon told Cebu Daily News in a phone interview.
Go also questioned the three overseas trips the Cuizon couple made this year and in September 2015.
Attached on his request letter were the screenshots of photos uploaded in the Facebook profile of his wife, Annabeth.
“So somehow the figures don’t fit. His legitimate income and that earned by his wife as Cebu City Hall employee combined simply could not defray the total cost for a cross country tour,” Go said.
Cuizon said they had nothing to hide — even online.
“Well, if ever the Ombudsman grants a request for a lifestyle check and investigation of the alleged unexplained wealth I got, I will comply with their request because we have nothing to hide from everyone,” Cuizon said.
Another complainant, Luke Duterte of Barangay Pusok, Lapu-Lapu City also filed a separate request to the Ombudsman-Visayas to investigate reports that Cuizon hired a casual employee identified as Isidro F. Tumulak Jr. three days ago.
Duterte claimed that Cuizon exempted Tumulak from using the finger scan machine from October 2015 to May 2016 when Cuizon was still assigned as assistant general manager of the Mactan Cebu International Airport.
Use of the finger scan machine is mandatory for all airport officials and employees.
“Its print out would be the basis for the payment of salaries or wages in accordance with Civil Service Rules and Regulations. . . . In all these months Cuizon approved and signed a pass out slip in favor of Tumulak,” Duterte said.
Cuizon said these complainants can go to the MCIAA and check for themselves.
“Tumulak still works there and has been working since,” he said. Cuizon said he found the allegations “awkward.”
“Everyone knows Isidro is the brother of Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak, an ally of former Cebu City mayor Michael Rama. I find it really awkward that they file a request and indicted me as Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmena’s political operator,” he said./UP Cebu Intern Morexette Marie Erram