Senate panel to subpoena Ongpin to ‘force’ him to attend hearings
After being unavailable several times, businessman Roberto Ongpin would be subpoenaed to attend a future hearing of the Blue Ribbon subcommittee on the joint venture deal between his Alphaland Corporation and the Boy Scouts of the Philippines, according to Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III.
Pimentel, the subcommittee chair, told Radyo Inquirer Friday that he would have to resort to “coercive measures” to get Ongpin to testify. He also plans to issue a subpoena to Alphaland President Mario Oreta, who has also been absent in the previous hearings.
He said the May 28 hearing was set because as per Ongpin’s lawyer, the businessman would be available in the last week of May. But Ongpin’s lawyer later said the businessman would be back in the country by the end of the month. Ongpin did not show up at the May 28 hearing.
Ongpin and Oreta had appeared at an earlier subcommittee hearing, where they defended the BSP-Alphaland deal to develop the Makati Place project and denied that Vice President Jejomar Binay received a commission from the project.
But they were absent at subsequent hearings.
Former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado had testified that Binay’s five percent share of the deal was coursed through Oreta’s Noble Care company.
Mercado had also alleged that the BSP got the short end of the stick when it teamed up with Alphaland. The BSP’s land, which is in a prime location, was used.
Pimentel said senators have more questions about the project and would want to question Ongpin and Oreta.
Sen. Sergio Osmeña III was among those who wanted to question them, he said.
Pimentel also defended his subcommittee’s inquiry from criticism from the Binay camp that it was one-sided and was taking too long.
According to him, the resource person’s failure or refusal to attend the hearings was actually the reason why the inquiry has been prolonged.
“It’s a criticism of which they themselves were the architect. Why is it one-sided? They don’t want to speak or participate. Why is it taking so long? They don’t coordinate with us for the schedule and they don’t attend the hearings. It’s all their fault,” he said.
He also said resource persons should learn to respect the processes of the Senate, because the senators would not give up in going after them if they fail to show up.
The Blue Ribbon Committee, upon the recommendation of the subcommittee, earlier cited 17 resources persons for contempt and ordered their arrest.
Pimentel said he could not understand why the resource persons, if they have nothing to hide, were avoiding the Senate. AU
