7 Baseco ex-officials face graft raps

By: Dona Z. Pazzibugan - 11 years ago

Office of the Ombudsman. PHOTO FROM https://www.ombudsman.gov.ph/

Seven former officials of the sequestered Bataan Shipyard and Engineering Co. Inc. (Baseco) are facing plunder and graft and corruption complaints for allegedly allocating to themselves excessive compensation and questionable cash advances.

The Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), which oversees all sequestered companies, on Wednesday filed the complaints in the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with some P220 million in alleged excessive compensation and unliquidated cash advances.

The seven former Baseco officials named in the complaint were retired naval captain Proceso Maligalig, one-time spokesperson of Rebolusyonaryong Alyansang Makabansa, who served as president; Agustiniana Avelino, who served as treasurer; Wilmar Lucero, retired Maj. Gen. Rene Cruz and Gloria Cortez, who served as directors; John Jay Consunji, who served as legal counsel, and Socorro Santos, who served as finance officer.

The seven former Baseco officials were accused of allocating to themselves a combined P220 million for a period of four and a half years, or from January 2007 to June 2011, according to the PCGG.

The monies they received were in the form of excessive compensation, fraudulent cash advances and unaccounted bank withdrawals, the PCGG added.

Maligalig allegedly received P99 million during the period; Consunji, P18 million; Santos, P15 million; Avelino, P8 million; Lucero, P7 million; Cruz, P2.6 million, and Cortez, P2.2 million.

When reached for comment, Maligalig denied having received the amount attributed to him.

He said his monthly salary as Baseco president was increased in July 2007 to P120,000 from his previous P32,000 monthly salary, which he said was only slightly higher than his secretary’s salary.

Including allowances, Maligalig said he had been receiving a total of P200,000 a month since July 2007.

“I think I also deserved it because I was able to work out a settlement on the Mariveles property that is worth P116 million. I was the only one appearing in the court hearings. I was working full-time [as Baseco president],” he said.

He also claimed he did not get the opportunity to explain his side, since he did not receive the PCGG’s “demand letter.”

According to the PCGG, six other former Baseco officials were no longer included in the plunder and graft complaint, since they have “agreed to settle their liabilities” worth P19 million.

Last year, Baseco reported earning P19 million in the first six months of the year compared to the P1.2 million loss incurred in the first six months of 2011.

Baseco, originally a shipbuilding and dry-docking firm that is now engaged in leasing real properties in Manila and Bataan, also posted a net income of P17 million at the end of 2011, which was a substantial increase from the P2 million net income posted in 2010.

The PCGG under the Aquino administration said it had improved Baseco’s financial performance by removing excessive allowances and canceling onerous contracts.

The government, through the PCGG, sequestered Baseco from Alfredo “Bejo” Romualdez, brother-in-law of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos and brother of former first lady and now Ilocos Rep. Imelda Marcos. It was suspected of being part of the ill-gotten wealth of the Marcos family and their cronies.

The current Baseco management took over the company’s operations in July 2011 and instituted measures to increase revenue and reduce costs.