THE Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) has filed additional complaints against former Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) chairman and eight other former officials over the anomalous lease of the historic Army Navy Club building.
In a supplemental complaint-affidavit filed on Monday before the Department of Justice, (DOJ), the VACC said that aside from the violation of Republic Act 7080 or the Anti-plunder Act and Section 3 of the Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-graft law filed against the respondents, they will also face charges for violation of RA 9184 otherwise known as the Government Procurement and Reform Act and Executive Order 423 as amended by EO 645.
The respondents in the case are: Former Pagcor chairman and CEO Celestino Naguiat; Former Pagcor directors Jose Tanjuatco, Enriquito Nuguid, Eugene Manalastas and Atty. George Sarmiento; Former Pagcor Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) members Milagros Pauline Visque, Ramon Jose Jones, Romeo Cruz Jr., Annalyn Zohlmann and Atty. Kathleen Delantar for allowing the lease of the Army and Navy Club and lot owned by the City of Manila.
Manuel Sy, the owner of the corporation which won the contract, was also included in the charge sheet.
Aside from the 11, the VACC also added in its supplemental affidavit two more respondents in the case, namely: former Government Corporate Counsel Raoul Creencia and chairman of Technical Working Group Jose Cristopher Manalo IV.
In March 2015, the Pagcor BAC has awarded a lease contract "for a gaming facility in Manila for a period of fifteen years" to a company named Vanderwood Management Corporation (VMC) owned by Sy in the total amount of P3.2 million.
The Office of the Supervising Auditor (OSA) and the Commission on Audit (CA) had later found the award of the lease contract to the VMC to be "highly irregular and anomalous," as according to them, the subject space in the contract which will supposedly be used as a gaming facility as stated in the bid, is non-existent.
In the 8-page complaint affidavit earlier filed by the VACC, it said that according to the CA, the subject lot in the contract between Pagcor and VMC was owned by the City of Manila. Also, the lot to be leased was found within the portion of the Museo ng Maynila Complex, formerly the historic Army and Navy Club situated at the Roxas Blvd.
The VACC said that the Pagcor officials and the VMC acted in conspiracy and connivance with the BAC officials to approve the anomalous contract.
VACC chair Dante Jimenez, named complainant in the case, also added that the initial payment of Pagcor to VMC, belonging to the public, was "for nothing" as the space is non-existent and not legally owned by Sy. (Sunnex)