14/10/2025
Sa kolum ng Europe-based Pinoy social anthropologist at heritage activist na si Antonio J. Montalvan II sa Vera Files ngayong Oktubre 14, ibinulgar niya ang umano’y tatlong “untold secrets” ni Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, na para sa kanya ay mas tama umanong bansagan bilang “Duterte protector” kaysa “crime buster.”
Ang una umanong “untold secret” ng dating special adviser-investigator ng Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) na si Magalong, ayon kay Montalvan, ay ang hindi nito pinapangalanang mga sangkot sa P36-billion rock-netting scam sa Benguet—bagay na ibinulgar ng alkalde kay former senator Sonny Trillanes noong 2022.
“Yap and the son Duterte were the names that Magalong had revealed to Trillanes as behind the rock-netting corruption in Benguet to the tune of P36 billion. Have we heard Magalong say this in public? Never,” mababasa sa opinion piece ni Montalvan, tinukoy sina dating House Appropriations Committee chairman, dating ACT-CIS Rep. Eric Yap; at Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo ‘Pulong’ Duterte, panganay na anak ni dating pangulong Rodrigo Duterte.
Sa kanyang kolum, sinabi ni Montalvan na ang ikalawang “untold secret” ni Magalong ay ang pagiging “alleged junta head” ng alkalde sakaling natuloy ang pinlano umanong kudeta laban kay President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. nitong Setyembre 21, kung saan si Magalong umano “will then appoint Sara Duterte as ‘transitional leader.’”
“Notice that Magalong skirts commenting on the allegations of his being the junta head tasked to appoint Sara Duterte. He will be damned if he admits, yet damned if he denies. Hence it remains his second untold secret because it will spill the beans on who he is protecting,” sulat ni Montalvan.
At ang ikatlo umanong “untold secret” ni Magalong, ayon kay Montalvan: “Where is Bantag now?” tinukoy si dating Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag, na itinuturong utak sa pagpat@y sa broadcaster na si Percy Lapid noong 2022.
“A Percy Lapid family member I had spoken to believes Magalong knows where Bantag’s hiding place is in the Cordilleras. It is so safely secured that even the way to it is riddled with secret real-time informants who can promptly relay to Bantag the entry of intruders,” mababasa pa sa kolum ni Montalvan sa Vera Files.
SOURCE: https://verafiles.org/articles/the-3-untold-secrets-of-benjamin-magalong