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Friday, May 09, 2008
Senate probe vs S. Korean firm looms
CAGAYAN DE ORO -- Senator Pia Cayetano wanted two Senate committees to investigate allegations of environmental violations, bribery and extortion against a South Korean firm over a shipyard project in Mindanao.
Conflict is also looming among town officials in Misamis Oriental and the task force created by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to oversee the $2-billion shipyard project of South Korean firm Hanjin Heavy Industries Inc.
Arroyo Watch: Sun.Star blog on President Arroyo
Cayetano in a resolution wanted the Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations and the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources to conduct a joint inquiry next week on various allegations against Hanjin.
The joint inquiry will check claims of irregularity of Hanjin's 440-hectare shipyard in Misamis Oriental and the condominium project inside a protected area in Zambales.
Cayetano said Hanjin officials will be invited to explain their questioned projects in Subic, Zambales and Misamis Oriental.
Hanjin constructed two condominiums inside the protected Subic rainforest even before an Environmental Compliance Certificate was issued and started clearing operations for a shipyard in Misamis Oriental without securing permits and clearances.
But aside from environmental issues, Hanjin was also accused of trying to bribe Tagoloan Mayor Paulino Emano with P400-million worth of contract to repeal an order barring the company from continuing its site clearing operations due to the firms' failure to comply with environmental and building permits.
Emano in a meeting with the President last week brought Hanjin's purported bribery attempt but the President brushed aside the matter and scolded him.
Sounding begrudgingly, Emano's reversal order later that day was premised on "the wishes" of President Arroyo.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said Emano has assigned an affidavit stating that there was no bribe offer on him or was there any extortion attempt on Hanjin in exchange for the ECC on its shipyard facility.
Ermita said Emano and Villanueva Mayor Juliette Uy are going to issue the permit that would pave the way for the construction of the training center and eventually the shipbuilding facility itself.
"That issue is already okay...The important thing there is that there will be no more finger-pointing about who did what," he said, adding that the Philippine National Police (PNP) has not obtained any evidence of bribery or extortion.
"So indeed the President had averted something that could have been messy, if this was not looked into immediately," he added.
Ermita said Arroyo immediately talked to the local officials concerned when she learned of the controversy and instructed the local department and the PNP to investigate.
He said the President expressed concern that the issue would discourage foreign investors from doing business in the Philippines.
Ermita said there is no need for the Senate to investigate the alleged bribe offer because the matter has been settled.
Mayors vs Task Force
On the other hand, Uy said she was not inclined to play second fiddle to the "Hanjin task force" headed by Misamis Oriental Governor Oscar Moreno, a political enemy.
"We don't need any supervision; we can man our own turfs. I don't think any task force of sorts is needed at this point, nor would local officials welcome any intervention on a project that is based on their respective towns," Uy told reporters in a press conference.
Reacting to Uy's rebuff, Moreno said he had no care in the world whether the Villanueva mayor would cooperate with him or not.
"I would take the lead on this project even without the support of Mayor Uy," Moreno said in Thursday's media briefing of the Laguindingan Airport Project, whose task force he also heads.
The governor claimed that when the President appointed him to head the task force, Uy nodded and said "yes" when the President asked for her support.
Uy disputed this, saying her commitment to the President was on the project itself, not on any supervisory body that would "undermine the role" of the local government unit (LGU).
Even Emano, she said, rejected the idea and told Arroyo in the meeting: "Hindi na kami bata Ms. President."
The task force was created last week in the wake of extortion-bribery controversy involving South Korean shipping firm Hanjin Heavy Industries and local officials of Tagoloan and Villanueva, where the shipyard is supposed to be located. (Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro. (May 9, 2008 issue)
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