Palace defends Singson, Jimenez

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–Malacañang on Thursday threw its support behind two Cabinet officials implicated in the plunder case against Sen. Franklin Drilon in connection with the allegedly overpriced Iloilo Convention Center (ICC).

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said there was no reason for Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. and Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson to go on leave over the plunder case filed by Manuel Mejorada, former provincial administrator of Iloilo.

“I don’t know for what reason… that fellow who filed the case against Senator Drilon included Secretary Mon Jimenez [and Singson], knowing that the bidding process was transparent,” Lacierda told reporters.

“I think this was a personal feud [between] that person and Senator Frank Drilon. But you know, maybe to carry more media mileage, he decided to sue Secretary Singson and Secretary Jimenez [as well].”

Mejorada, a former Drilon aide, alleged that the P488-million ICC was overpriced and it was financed out of the senator’s Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) allocation and Malacañang’s Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), an impounding mechanism for government savings.

The Supreme Court has declared both the PDAF and the DAP unconstitutional.

In a statement released by Malacañang, Jimenez said he had “full trust and confidence in the competence and sincerity of all those involved in the ICC project.”

“I firmly believe that our actions in support of this project will withstand scrutiny,” he said. “Notwithstanding this unfortunate allegation of overpricing, we will not allow this distraction to derail our mission to make tourism a force for growth and inclusiveness in this country.”

Lacierda said Singson was “very confident that the bidding process undertaken for the Iloilo Convention Center was aboveboard.”

“Secretary Singson has already said he can easily defend the bidding process,” he said.

Drilon earlier belittled Mejorada’s complaint, saying it “has absolutely no basis.”

“He claims it’s overpriced by P488 million, so that will leave around P220 million. That international convention center is 11,600 square meters. In effect, he is saying it is P18,000 per square meter, which is quite ridiculous. It just shows how ridiculous his claims are,” the senator had said.

“I have never nominated any bidder. The bidding was supervised by the Office of the [Department of Public Works and Highways] secretary and supervised by Secretary Singson. It is obvious that this complaint has absolutely no basis.”–With a report from Amy Remo