Senate gathers documents ahead of Drilon graft probe

Sen. Teofisto Guingona III. RYAN LEAGOGO/INQUIRER.net file photo

MANILA, Philippines—The Senate blue ribbon  committee  has  started  gathering  documents   in connection  with its  planned  investigation  into the  allegedly  overpriced  pet  project of  Senate  President  Franklin Drilon in Iloilo  City.

Senator  Teofisto Guingona  III, chairman  of the committee, sent separate letters dated November 3, 2014 to  Tourism  Secretary Ramon  Jimenez,  Public Works  Secretary Rogelio Singson, and  former  Iloilo Provincial Administrator  Manuel Mejorada, asking  them to  furnish the  committee  documents  relevant to the issue.

“Among  the allegations  in the said resolution   is that the construction of the  Iloilo Convention Center (ICC) is overpriced by  P531 million,”   Guingona said in his  letter,  referring to the resolution filed  by  Senator  Miriam Defensor-Santiago seeking a Senate  inquiry into the  alleged overpricing of the ICC.

“In relation thereto, may we be furnished documents  relevant to this  allegation. We will appreciate it very much if the documents are submitted to  us before the  endif this week,” he added.

The committee though  has not  scheduled yet the first hearing on the  issue.

The ICC is the  subject of a plunder and graft  complaint filed by Mejorada at the Office of the Ombudsman  against  Drilon and other  personalities. Drilon has denied Mejorada’s  allegation that  the  project was  overpriced.

In a statement on Monday, the Senate leader expressed  confidence that the  Department  of Public Works and Highway (DPWH) would be  able to defend  the  regularity of the  project.

“The DPWH, which supervised the ICC, can easily disprove the malicious allegations made against the implementation of the project,” Drilon said.

“I have no involvement in any way in the bidding process for the project. I was nowhere near that process to intervene, let alone nominate anyone to be the contractor of the project,” he added.

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