The Murcia Business Alliance yesterday scored Mayor Esteban Coscolluela for resorting to "diversionary tactics" in addressing the issues they are raising on the operation of the new Murcia Public Market.

The group, headed by Lina Lazanas, said in a press conference yesterday that they want Coscolluela to answer their concerns over the new market rental rates and the lack of an ordinance prescribing such rates. Instead, they said, he trained his guns on Councilor Helen Clavesillas, whom he accused of using his former employee to discredit him.

MBA spokesperson Rafaelito Gayares said that Coscolluela is trying to drag Clavesillas into the issue when, in fact, she is not the problem but his refusal to answer their questions and to furnish them with the documents pertaining to the construction of the market that they have been requesting since last year.

He denied the mayor's claim that their group had been harassing the department heads with the letters of requests they have been addressing to their respective offices.

MBA member Jonathan Montoya said that the real issue is the expensive rental rates and absence of an ordinance, making the collection of rentals from the tenants an illegal action of the municipal government.

Official receipts show that vendors who were awarded spaces in the market paid three months advance and one month deposit for rentals, he said.

Their group refused to pay because they consider it unlawful.

Coscolluela and Councilor Clavesillas have their own conflict, it's unfair of the mayor to involve us, Montoya said.

Clavesillas, for her part, said at the same press conference that she is supporting the cause of the MBA because she believes that they are raising valid issues.

I believe that the municipality is charging exorbitant rental rates and the mayor is violating the rights of the people by refusing to listen to their sentiments, she said. She added that the local government is not allowed by law to collect rentals by virtue of a mere resolution.

Clavesillas also denied Coscolluela's allegation that she convinced his former employee, Alejandro "Musoy" Villalva, to discredit him by claiming in an affidavit that the mayor received a P2 million commission from the contractor of the public market.

In his sworn statement executed on Feb. 14, 2004 Villalva said that he was financially supported by Clavesillas in the murder case against him and used his ill-feelings against Coscolluela to make him execute the affidavit.

But Clavesillas, who admitted knowing Villalva, said that she has not even seen a copy of the affidavit she supposedly asked him to execute.

She said that because of her "compassion for the needy," she had helped Villalva when he came to him to ask for assistance but vehemently denied paying him P15,000 for the affidavit. It was Villalva, she said, who offered to issue a sworn statement against Coscolluela but she refused him because her concern, she added, is the market rental rates, not the downfall of the mayor.*NLG

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