MANILA, Philippines -- It should be the Department of Justice and the Office of the Ombudsman that should handle the controversy involving a foreign investor, Speaker Prospero Nograles has said.

Nograles was referring to reports that South Korea?s Hanjin Heavy Industries Inc., which is building a $2 billion shipyard in Mindanao, allegedly bribed local officials to facilitate the project.

The company has denied this and countered that it was the local officials who tried to extort money from the company -- a claim they also rejected.

?From what I read, there are allegations of bribery. Now I have consulted a lot of people and with my colleagues. And sabi ko [I said], if it's a question of bribery, alleged bribery, let the Department of Justice and the Ombudsman handle that,? Nograles said late Monday.

?I don't think Congress would even try to go into it because that's a criminal case,? he added.

Nograles maintained that it would be proper for the DoJ, the fiscals, and the complainants to file a case. Moreover, the Ombudsman should ?take cognizance of it [the Hanjin controversy]? and the executive department should see what could be done about it.

?We have enough laws on bribery and graft and corruption to implement. I don't think we can produce any additional law that will result from an investigation of this thing,? Nograles said.

He said that he was speaking for the House of Representatives. ?[The Senate has] their own sets of priorities and I don't want to meddle with them out of parliamentary courtesy... We have to balance everything. We want to investigate but sometimes there are economic and international repercussions so kailangang balansehin natin [we have to balance things],? said Nograles.

Mindanao congressmen also said Monday that a highly publicized inquiry by Congress into the alleged bribery/extortion issue might drive away foreign investors.

Opposition lawmakers have called for an investigation by the Senate's blue ribbon committee.