Thursday, May 08, 2008 City probes cable TV on income declaration
CITY Legal Officer (CLO) Allan Zamora has belied allegations he ordered the padlock of F Channel at TU Square Building along B.S. Aquino Drive in Bacolod.
"I have no intention or whatsoever to padlock F Channel. What the City did was simply to send investigators from the City Treasurer's Office to check its income," Zamora told Sun.Star Bacolod in a phone interview.
F Channel or Channel 13 at Sky Cable in Bacolod is owned and operated by veteran broadcaster Franklin Villanueva, a known 'critic' of the Leonardia administration.
In an interview, Villanueva said Zamora withheld their forms for the renewal of their business/mayor's permit despite it being already approved by the City Permits and Licensing Division.
"We were already given our claim slip on April 17 but when we were about to get our business permit, we're told it was forwarded to Attorney Zamora's office for comment," Villanueva said. "What's the reason why Zamora would like to check our business permit? Such act connotes plain and simple harassment against us."
But Zamora refuted Villanueva's allegation. "No, I don't have any intention like that."
The CLO explained that based on Villanueva's declaration of income, F Channel only has a total of P240,000 gross income in 2007.
"If we divide the P240,000 to 12 months, F Channel only earned around P20,000 per month. How could it be since Villanueva has five staff? What about his electric and water billings, among other expenses?" asked Zamora. "On that premise, I can simply conclude that there's an under declaration of F Channel's real income."
Zamora also dared Villanueva to simply tell the truth on his income. "If he wants transparency in government as what he is crusading in his Frankahanay program, then he should set an example."
But Villanueva answered: "Who is Zamora to question my income? Is he the BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue)?" (EAD)
