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Sunday, February 23, 2003
Group wants CDC execs booted out
By Dante M. Fabian
ANGELES CITY -- The Pinoy Gumising Ka Movement (PGKM) urged President Arroyo Friday to suspend Clark Development Corp. (CDC) officials allegedly involved in smuggling inside Clark.
Ruperto Cruz, Pinoy Gumising Ka Movement (PGKM) chair, said the President should seriously monitor activities in Clark and suspend CDC officials found conniving with locators smuggling goods in and out of the ecozone.
At the same time, Cruz also said the ongoing in-house investigation on the alleged rampant smuggling should be thoroughly done if only to negate reports that it is a mere "demolition job" against two top CDC executives, Victor Jose Luciano and Romeo N. Dyoco.
"If these accusations are true, the people have the right to know. Ang intindi ng karamihan ay usaping partihan lang daw ito kaya na-expose ang anomalyang yan," Cruz said. (The belief of many is that the anomalies were exposed because some of those involved failed to get their part.)
"Sana hindi itong R.A. Nino ang kumpanya na napapabalitang nagiimport sa pangalan ng mga duty-free shops na matagal nang nakasara. Sino man ang nagbigay ng permit sa R.A. Nino dapat ding kasuhan ng economic sabotage," he said. (I hope it's not R.A., the company that has been reported to be importing in the name of duty free shops that had already closed down. Who gave them a permit? Who should face raps for economic sabotage?)
Cruz also pointed out that even if Luciano and Dyoco will be found guilty of the accusations, Angeles is still liable for the actions of his subordinates under the principle of command responsibility.
Cruz said that as the cigarette importation scandal has bolstered reports of graft and corruption, conflict of interests and other shenanigans in CDC, the PGKM intends to closely watch the investigation until the real culprits are punished for economic sabotage and plunder.
Cruz said PGKM and the people interested in the smuggling probe would attend the hearings to be conducted by the City Council of Angeles City and the CDC investigative committee formed by Angeles.
Cruz, however, doubted the reason behind the filing of complaint against Luciano and Dyoco before the City Council. He said it could be a mere "media mileage" or propaganda even as he pointed out that the council is not the proper authority to punish erring CDC officials.
Luciano is presently in Washington, USA attending the Philippines-U.S. air talks, being one of the country's official delegates in the conference designed to strengthen bilateral relations with the US and enhance the global competitiveness of our country's airports.
"No offense meant, PGKM does not see the council as the proper forum for the investigation because it does not have the power to impose sanctions over the CDC officials," Cruz said.
Instead, Cruz said, formal complaints should have been filed before the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC) or the Office of the Ombudsman.
Cruz said PGKM will secure documents and evidence presented during the course of the hearings.
He said that together with the minutes of the council deliberations, these could be used by PGKM in filing charges of graft and corruption against CDC executives.
(February 22, 2003 issue)
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