Senate to look into Drilon project in Iloilo if formally asked by members

By: TJ Burgonio - 10 years ago

Senate President Franklin Drilon. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – If a resolution is filed, the Senate blue ribbon committee has no choice but to inquire into allegations that the Iloilo Convention Center is overpriced, according to some senators.

Senate President Franklin Drilon, Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson and Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. are facing a plunder complaint in connection with the P488-million convention center that has been filed by a former Drilon aide in the Office of the Ombudsman.

None among opposition Senators Vicente Sotto III, Gregorio Honasan, Nancy Binay and Joseph Victor Ejercito has filed a resolution calling for an inquiry into the convention center.

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago has filed Resolution No. 906 seeking an inquiry into alleged anomalous transactions between Hilmarc’s Construction Corp. and local government units.

“If someone files a resolution, why not? There are members of the minority who can do that – Senator JV, Senator Nancy. That should be heard, and the committee should be as assiduous,’’ Sen. Francis Escudero said on Friday.

ARTIST’S rendering of the Iloilo Convention Center. FROM ILOILO BUSINESS PARK

The Blue Ribbon Committee is chaired by Sen. Teofisto Guingona III. A subcommittee has been hearing charges of corruption and ill-gotten wealth against Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano agreed that an inquiry into the matter would be the next logical step once a resolution is filed.

“If a resolution is filed about the ICC, it should be lined up at the Blue Ribbon Committee,” Cayetano told reporters Friday. “But remember it’s not a matter of filing. You have to have evidence there.”

“If there is evidence of overprice, why not? Claiming it’s overpriced is easy,” he added.

Manuel Mejorada, former provincial administrator of Iloilo, filed the plunder complaint, saying Drilon’s pet project, which is being undertaken by the controversial Hilmarc’s Construction Corp. (HCC), was a “high-level” conspiracy engineered by the senator “to build an avenue for corruption”.

Mejorada charged that this was funded with Drilon’s allocation under the Priority Development Assistance Fund and Malacañang’s government savings impounding mechanism, Disbursement Acceleration Program. The Supreme Court has ruled both unconstitutional.

Drilon has dismissed the charges as malicious and ridiculous. He denied taking part in the bidding of the project in Iloilo City being rushed for completion in time to host Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings in September next year.

For months now, the Blue Ribbon subcommittee has been hearing Makati’s allegedly overpriced P2.28-billion carpark, where allegations that Binay ordered the rigging of bidding for infrastructure projects to favor Hilmarc’s, and pocketed kickbacks were aired.

He has recently been accused of owning a P1.2-billion, 350-hectare farm and vacation estate in Rosario, Batangas.

Guingona, chair of the mother committee, has come under pressure to also open an inquiry into the alleged misuse of funds from the Malampaya gas field off Palawan.

He had set the first hearing in October but had to reset it because this coincided with the hearing on the Makati carpark.