That’s correct, the favorite expression of City Mayor Jun jun Lim, is coming back to haunt him like an old ghost of the past. Just as we thought that he will chose to keep mum of the bombshell detonated by an old friend turned mortal enemy, Mayor Lim came out swinging yesterday to belie the accusation of lawyer Victor de la Serna. He answered the charges during his weekly radio program. It may be recalled that the topnotch lawyer put Mayor Lim on the spot by accusing him of receiving a P1 million bribe from Go Beng Sum, one of the partners in the Rehabilitate, Operate and Transfer (ROT) deal between city hall and the Tagbilaran City Square. Turning the tables on the outspoken lawyer, Lim said if the people believe what de la Serna said, then they can repudiate him as congressional bet in the first district, his brother who is running for mayor in this city and his wife Dr. Sharleen for vice governor.

So there, after we dared Lim to come and come out cleanly, in relation to the accusation of lawyer de la Serna, he did answer yesterday the charges squarely and without equivocation. Whether he will succeed in convincing the electorate that he was telling the truth and de la Serna was lying through his teeth, is for the people to evaluate. Last week, the topnotch lawyer threw all cautions to the wind and an –in-your-face accusation pointed an accusing finger to Mayor Lim. Serious from all angles, the accusation was that the mayor is receiving a P1 million bribe per month. And that’s money in all its equivalents whether in dollar, euro or yen. According to de la Serna, Mayor Lim receives from Go Beng Sum, the consortium in the ROT deal with city hall, P 12 million per annum or P 1 million a month in addition to the official P 5 million yearly which ever is higher for 25 years. The P5million/annum is stipulated in the contract and binding to the contracting parties which is the consortium and Mayor Lim. The “under-the-table” of P1 million is only binding between Mayor Lim and the whistle-blower which happens to be Mr. Go Beng Sum.

To our mind and to the rest of the concerned citizenry, it’s not so much of the P1 million/month agreement, it’s the “plus plus” that goes with it. Whatever that means, to our contemplation, it depends upon the needs of the occasion, if we have to read the plus plus between the lines. That’s the scary part having a rider of plus, plus, because it knows no specific amount. It can be in the tens of thousands or even a little over a million. Depending upon the need of the occasion? If we can read the mind of Go Beng Sum, it’s a given that he can very well justify before the consortium board the amount of P 1 million as goodwill money to Mayor Lim. After all, if de la Serna is to be believed in the ROT transaction between city hall and his company, the P5 million yearly is peanuts compared to what it is getting in rental money from all rentable spaces of the complex. According to de la Serna, on a monthly basis, the consortium is asking P600.00 per month, per square meter, from every rentable space at the ground floor of the building.

If the company is only paying P1/ per day, per square, and make a turn around of P600/month then, it is making a fortune out of the sweetheart deal. Ergo, giving P1 million a month to the city mayor is chicken feed given the one sided contract it has signed with city hall. Besides, if we believed this accusation, Mr. Go Beng Sum, can always convince his partners that the P1million is part of the agreement. What makes it unconscionable that he finds it hard to justify is how to convince the consortium board that other than the P1 million monthly there is the “plus plus” that makes it unpredictable. After all is said and done, all we can say is, the ball is now in the court of Mayor Lim. With his denial, he is hoping that the burning issue becomes water under the bridge. However, if Mayor Lim’s vociferous critics will keep on resurrecting it, then, for sure, he will be a possible candidate for crucifixion especially at this time that all of Christendom is observing Lent.