[Ninja_Assassin]

This article gives an insight how the "system" works in AC

ANGELES CITY -- Despite the support pledged by businessmen in the tourism industry here to increase tax payments to the City Government, establishments here are now seriously considering moving out of the city as they allegedly face harassments and "underground collections" allegedly perpetrated by some City hall officials.

Old-timers in business here said the alleged "protection racket" seem to kill the tourism industry and affect even other peripheral industries "is reminiscent of the 60s to 70s when Faustino del Mundo, then feared as Kumander Sumulong, exacted fees on businesses in the city and province."

They said the tourism industry is the backbone of the city, including its real estate business, supermarkets and most other businesses in the city. They said Sumulong's activities were opposed by then governor Francisco Nepomuceno.

The goons employed by Sumulong were hunted and killed by armed group called the Mankis said to mean Mang Kitong's.

Bar managers here said their investors are now looking for properties to build new establishments on in La Union, Tarlac and Zambales.

According to the managers, their investors can no longer afford to come across with the alleged underground collections estimated to reach P15 million a month.

They said harassment techniques, including the rumors that Angeles City is the source of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Aids) in the country and accusations of prostitution in bars are now employed by an alleged group at the City hall.

A "mamasan" here said lately, a City hall official at the Sanitation division of the City Health Office stopped the releasing of work licenses of entertainment workers.

Another mamasan said a member of the Business Establishments Monitoring and Regulatory Compliance Office (Besmorco) has informed some mamasans that the licenses will be delivered to the bars and a "fee" of P1,500 will be collected in addition to the P850 that the employees have spent for these.

Managers here have strongly rejected a scheme to collect P50 per day from each of the employees in the entertainment establishments here numbering about 5,000.

They said: this was relayed to officers of the League of Angeles City Entertainment Managers (Lacem) by certain members of the Besmorco headed by Humberto Tayag Jr.

A bar owner here said in December, they have agreed to increase the gross annual sales to be declared this year to support the administration in attaining an executive budget for this year set at P1 billion.

They said this was upon the request of the city treasurer Juliet Quinsaat.

Managers claimed that the group at City hall seems to be determined to collect the alleged "underground fees" from the entertainment workers.

They said their superiors have been trying to contact City hall officials to resolve the mess but to no avail, as Tayag who was chairman of the Acta, had gone on an indefinite leave.