Binay seeks Senate probe on complaints vs Cesar Montano

Senator Nancy Binay and Tourism Promotions Board chief operating officer Cesar Montano. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS

Senator Nancy Binay has sought a Senate inquiry into the complaints filed by employees of the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) against their chief operating officer, Cesar Montano, for allegedly engaging in supposed irregular contracts, mismanagement, and nepotism.

“It is imperative that we look into the complaints against Mr. Montano. He is leading an agency tasked with domestic and international promotions of the Department of Tourism. As such, he must act with the protection of the image of the TPB and the government in mind at all times,” Binay, chair of the Senate committee on tourism, said in a statement.

“I also urge Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo to look into this matter. We cannot allow our efforts to promote the country as a top tourist destination to be ruined by controversies, especially one involving an official of our tourism agency,” she added.

The senator has filed Senate Resolution No. 326 , urging the Senate committee on accountability of public officers and investigations or the blue ribbon committee to look into the complaints lodged against Montano at the Presidential Action Center just three months after his appointment.

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The resolution, she said, had also been referred to the tourism committee.

“This investigation will enable us to review our laws and ensure that issues of malfeasance, misfeasance and charges of graft and corruption in the government are immediately addressed,” Binay said.

“Napakalaki ng potensyal ng bansa natin upang mas makilala pa bilang isang top tourist destination, kaya dapat maresolba agad ang isyung ito na maaaring makasira sa imahe ng ating bansa. Dapat mapag-usapan at malaman na ang katotohanan sa isyung ito sa lalong madaling panahon upang makapag-focus na tayo sa mas importanteng suliranin: ang pagpromote sa mga magagandang tanawin ng Pilipinas,” she further said.

(Our country has a big potential to be known as a top tourist destination, that’s why we should immediately resolve issues which could tarnish the country’s image. We should be able to address and find out the truth in this issue at the soonest possible time so we can focus on the more important task at hand: that promotion of the beautiful destinations in the Philippines.)

The complaint listed down 24 wrongful acts that Montano allegedly committed, including entering into multimillion pesos’ worth of questionable contracts, and hiring his own staff whose functions are redundant with those of incumbent employees.

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One of the questionable contracts was the alleged P16.5 million cash sponsorship of the Board to a company that handled the production of a rally for President Rodrigo Duterte at the Luneta Park in Manila last February 25. IDL