Roxas claims on NSC debunked

National Steel Labor Union-FFW (NASLU-FFW) president Simplicio H. Villarta, Jr. lashed out yesterday at Trade and Industry Secretary Manuel Roxas II for saying that the NSC plant cannot operate within the year.

"We know whereof we speak," Villarta said, as he dared Roxas to endorse their lease program today.

"We will mobilize in 48 hours, and operate the first processing lines (billet steel making plant and electrolytic tinning lines) in 45 days," said Villarta, whose union formally endorsed yesterday the Allengoal lease to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Villarta accused the DTI secretary of misleading when he claimed: "There is no way the NSC (National Steel Corp) would be reopened or operational this year." Were it not for his obstructionist maneuverings, the union president said, this plant would have been operational today.

According to Alexander S. Delmo, president of Allengoal Steel Corp., his company had concluded as early as April 2000, a lease agreement with the Malaysian owners of NSC, Hottick Investment Ltd. to operate the plant and steel works while a suitable buyer or investor was being sought. It stipulated a six-month start-up for the entire complex. October of last year yet, Delmo said, NSC should have been operating under that lease, were it not stalled by legal maneuvers.

Highlights of the Allengoal lease offer at that time were: A monthly lesae of P17.8 million per month; mobilization in 45 days and start-up in six months maximum; no up front cost for NSC; adequate performance bond; and profit sharing. There was no other lease offer at that time, as the lease concept actually originated from Allengoal.

Nevertheless, the offer for lease was opened to the public in January 2001 and at that time Allengoal was the only interested lessee, Delmo pointed out.