Osmeña, Binay push Drilon probe

MANILA, Philippines–Citing possible violations of the antigraft law in the construction of the P700-million Iloilo Convention Center (ICC), Sen. Sergio Osmeña III on Monday opposed proposals to stop the Senate inquiry into its alleged overprice.

“I’m not saying that bribes did happen but what I am saying is that there are other aspects to the convention center issue that will make people suspicious, that to me might be violative of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act,” the senator said.

Sen. Nancy Binay also opposed stopping the inquiry, saying there were other issues worth delving into in relation to the project, including its possible benefit to the government after the forthcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit.

Senators Aquilino Pimentel III and Antonio Trillanes IV earlier proposed the Senate blue ribbon committee do away with a second hearing on the alleged overprice of the ICC after the main resource person at the hearing, former Iloilo provincial administrator Manuel Mejorada, admitted to using Wikipedia as reference for his complaint.

Osmeña said the “suspicious aspects” included the absence of a bidding, the timing of the value engineering of the plans for the ICC and the contention that Megaworld’s donation of the land for the ICC was a good deal worth P500 million.

“My stand is in the interest of transparency. Where all facts have not come out, let us not close the inquiry,” Osmeña said, adding that Mejorada, who filed a plunder complaint against Senate President Franklin Drilon over the ICC, was able to present good arguments in the last hearing.

“Mr. Mejorada did not have the hard documentation… (but) if you could convict by circumstantial evidence, he will be able to make his case,” Osmeña said.

The blue ribbon subcommittee could subpoena the necessary documents to determine probable cause, he added.–Leila B. Salaverria

RELATED STORY

Osmeña favors continuation of ICC probe, hails Mejorada