Vitangcol: When I’m cleared, I’ll resign
Metro Rail Transit general manager Al Vitangcol III. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – Apparently, work in government is too much for the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) General Manager Al Vitangcol, who was accused of extorting money from a Czech company over an MRT project.
In a television interview on Friday, Vitangcol said he would not resign as he faces allegations that he extorted money from Inekon Group of the Czech Republic in the contract for additional MRT coaches.
It is only when he is cleared of the charges that he will resign from his post as MRT general manager, Vitangcol noted.
”I have considered resigning but not at this time. If I resign at this time, it might be construed as an admission of guilt. Once I’m cleared by all investigating bodies, nobody would ask me to resign. I will resign voluntarily,” Vitangcol said in an interview with ANC on Friday.
“I didn’t expect that government service will be like this,” he added.
Czech Republic ambassador to the Philippines Josef Rychtar revived the issue when he told a television network that Vitangcol was protected from the charges by influential persons.
Rychtar claimed Vitangcol’s alleged envoy to Inekon, Wilson De Vera, asked Inekon on behalf of Vitangcol on July 10, 2012, to pay $30 million to win the bidding for the contract. De Vera is a member of President Benigno Aquino III’s Liberal Party.
The issue involving the President’s allies has raised questions on the administration’s platform of good governance.
Vitangcol, who has denied the allegations, took the time to express his frustration at “everybody” over the accusations against him.
He also said he would file charges against the Czech envoy, who has said he is willing to drop his diplomatic immunity to face Vitangcol.
Diplomatic immunity is a special privilege under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations that gives diplomats safe passage and protection from any lawsuit in their host countries.
”I am upset at everybody. Now that I have a copy of that, and that’s the reason I dared the ambassador, now he has shed his immunity, we are ready to file charges against him,” Vitangcol said of Rychtar.
”I think there’s somebody who wants me out of MRT, that I don’t know. I don’t have any idea at all. There are so many people, there are so many business opportunities that were stopped when I was at MRT,” Vitangcol added.
He also denied the ambassador’s accusations that he is being protected.
“Nobody is protecting me. As I have said, I am not a politician. I am a technocrat,” Vitangcol said.
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