MANILA, Philippines–The Senate blue ribbon committee hopes to begin next week its investigation of the alleged overpricing of the P700-million Iloilo Convention Center (ICC), which is the pet project of Senate President Franklin Drilon, and has begun gathering documents in preparation for this, according to its chair, Sen. Teofisto Guingona III.
But Vice President Jejomar Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) on Tuesday said Guingona was “dilly-dallying” in the ICC probe.
“They are saying they want to strengthen the procurement laws, and here is a similar case, but why don’t they want to move when the one involved in the anomaly is an ally?” Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco, UNA interim president, said in a statement.
“Will Senate President Drilon’s allies show the same enthusiasm and aggressiveness they are displaying right now in the subcommittee? Will they also conduct nine hearings to ferret out the truth?” he asked.
“Why is it that with the ICC, the blue ribbon is enforcing a different rule, while when it came to the Makati (City Hall) Building II, the witness had not yet produced any document, yet a hearing and investigation were already launched?” he said.
Back burner
He noted that the resolution seeking an inquiry into the Makati building overpricing was filed on Aug. 11, referred to the committee on the same day, and the first hearing conducted a week later, on Aug. 18.
On the other hand, a resolution calling for an investigation into the ICC filed by Santiago on Sept. 9 “was relegated to the back burner.”
The Liberal Party (LP) sneered at UNA’s “desperate maneuvers” to divert attention away from allegations of kickbacks and unexplained wealth against Binay and his family.
“The allegation hurled against Drilon, Singson and Jimenez is only the ‘tip of the iceberg’ of a wider and massive political plot to discredit President Aquino‘s anticorruption drive,” said Iloilo Rep. Jerry Treñas.
LP secretary general and Western Samar Rep. Mel Senen Sarmiento said the party was confident that Drilon, Singson and Jimenez would be able to defend the ICC project.
Sarmiento claimed that these “underhanded tactics” of UNA were in retaliation for President Aquino’s rejection of Binay’s request for him to intervene and stop the Senate probe against the Vice President.
Guingona said Drilon, as a member of the committee and as Senate President, may participate in the hearings any time and could also be asked questions, if he is present.
Drilon could also ask questions from the resource persons, Guingona told reporters on Tuesday.
But the proceedings “will be under my control and supervision,” Guingona said. “[Drilon] is not in control of proceedings. The chair is the one under control.”
He also said he could give his assurance that he would conduct the proceedings fairly.
“But the best assurance will be performance during the hearings because you can see for yourselves and the people can see for themselves whether it was conducted in a fair and impartial manner,” Guingona added. “I have to do my job regardless of political statements from either sides.”
Guingona said that in initiating the ICC probe, he took into account public interest, aside from the resolution of Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago seeking an inquiry on the projects of Hilmarc’s Construction Corp. with certain local government units.
Hilmarc’s, the contractor of the ICC, is also involved in the controversial Makati City parking building, allegedly constructed the building at an overprice while Binay was Makati mayor.
In preparation for the hearings, Guingona’s committee on Monday wrote letters to Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson, Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez and former Iloilo Provincial Administrator Manuel Mejorada to request documents related to allegations that the ICC was overpriced.
Mejorada last week filed in the Office of the Ombudsman a plunder complaint against Drilon, Singson and Jimenez for the alleged overprice.
“We will appreciate it very much if the documents are submitted to us before the end of this week,” read the letter from Director General Rodolfo Quimbo of the Blue Ribbon Oversight Office Management.
Guingona said that in conducting the inquiry on the ICC, he intended to start with Singson, since his department handled the project.
He also plans to call Hilmarc’s executives to the hearing.
Drilon said in an interview with dzMM radio on Tuesday that he would inhibit himself from the Guingona hearings. However, he said that if his presence was needed, he would attend to answer questions. Drilon has denied wrongdoing. He said he was not involved in the tender of the ICC, pointing out that this was already handled by Singson’s office.–With a report from Gil C. Cabacungan