Friday, September 21, 2007 PNB: Legislator not blocking P400M loan By Erwin Ambo S. Delilan
A TOP official of the Philippine National Bank clarified Thursday that Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella is not blocking the P400 million loan of the City to fund the construction of a new government center.
In a radio interview Thursday, PNB’s senior vice president, Vic Sison, said: ”No one told us na pipigilan ang loan. With regards to the statements of Mayor Evelio Leonardia, all were just for politics.”
Sun.Star-Bacolod tried but failed to contact the mayor.
Sison added, “We, at the Philippine National Bank (PNB), are all professional bankers. We are after the documentation of loan applicants. In this case, no one interfered or intervened against the Bacolod City loan, either the politicians or prominent personalities.”
The statements of politicians, like those of Mayor Evelio Leonardia, are his personal opinion or views, added Sison.
The reason why PNB released only almost half of the P400 million loan is because of the documentation on the project site, he further said.
“Ang pagtagal ng (The late) release was due to our banking system and because we follow also government procedures. And the City also has to get its papers ratified by the City Council. After that we granted the loan ng walang sagabal (without hitches),” added Sison.
