Mayor breaks silence on 2014 Pangasinan barbecue row

 

The mayor of a town in Pangasinan on Thursday broke his silence over allegations of irregularities surrounding a barbecue event that set a world record last year.

 

Bayambang Mayor Ricardo Camacho dismissed a complaint lodged against him before the Ombudsman by trader Cesar Quiambao as political in nature.

 

"Politically motivated ang kaso na i-finile sa akin. Ang masasabi ko malaking kinalaman sa darating na local and national election," he said in an interview with GMA Dagupan's Michael Sison on "24 Oras North Central Luzon."

 

Quiambao earlier claimed the grills used in last year's fish-grilling event - which set a world record for being the longest - were donated by him and were not paid for with public funds as the mayor's office supposedly claimed.
 

On April 4, 2014, Bayambang set a world record for the longest barbecue with side-by-side grills stretching 8,000 meters long.

 

The record was set during the Malangsi Fish-tival marking the 400th anniversary of Bayambang.

 

Guinness World Records said the barbecue was made of 8,000 connected grills, with 50,000 kg of fish, 2,000 kg of salt, 480 blocks of ice and 6,000 bags of charcoal used.

 

Camacho also questioned Quiambao's basis in lodging the complaint, saying it was not based on a report of the Commission on Audit.

 

He added the funds for the barbecue event were in the budget of the town's quadricentennial committee and did not pass through the local government unit.

 

"Malinis ang aking konsensya. Hindi ko na hihintayanin pa siguro ang time na mapatunayan ng Ombudsman. Kung ako mismo alam ko nagkamali ako, meron akong nilabag na batas, siguro much better para sa akin para once and for all matapos lahat na ito, bababa ako sa aking kinalalagyan," the mayor said.

 

For his part, Quiambao brushed aside Camacho's claim that the charges were politically motivated, and urged the mayor to answer the charges before the Ombudsman.

 

"Sagutin na lang niya sa Ombudsman," he said. — Joel Locsin/JDS/JJ, GMA News