Vendetta claim on Romulo Mabanta raid totally false

A government lawyer who spoke to Spybiz on condition of anonymity vehemently denied allegations that government was engaged in a political vendetta after the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) of Hong Kong raided the Romulo, Mabanta, Buenaventura Sayoc & De Los Angeles (RMBSA) Corporate Service office in April. The Romulo Mabanta law firm counts among its clients the controversial Philippine International Air Terminals Co. (Piatco) which government alleged has acted in bad faith when it entered into a contract to build the NAIA-3 Terminal. The lawyer said government is intent to get hold of the documents seized during the ICAC raid because they could potentially prove graft and corruption was involved in the Piatco deal, and that payments could have been made through dummy corporations reportedly set up by Romulo Mabanta in Hong Kong. Romulo Mabanta senior partner Dick Romulo had been at odds with GMA, who once peevishly remarked, "What did you expect from a lawyer of Piatco" in a media forum. "If they really stand for good governance as they always keep claiming publicly, then it’s about time they prove true to their pronouncements and cooperate with the government to help try and recover billions from a case that has caused so much damage to the Philippines internationally," the lawyer said. Amen.

The dangers of EO 511

Whoever managed to slip in Executive Order 511 for the President to sign must be rubbing his hands together in glee. The Spy-ring got wind of reports that EO 511, signed by GMA last March 11, created a Presidential Communications Group to be headed by Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye that will reportedly have jurisdiction over all public information dissemination activities including advertisements of all departments and bureaus of the Executive Branch – as well as government owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) and government financial institutions (GFIs). It’s the inclusion of the latter two that has made concerned sectors smell a stink about the EO, titled "Rationalizing the Public Information Functions and Duties of the Executive Branch" – which could have been timed perfectly by the originators because it was signed three days after a broadsheet featured the President as a skimpily dressed starlet in its mock issue. According to Palace wags, minions in the Office of the President would now be able to take full control of the publicity and advertising expenses of these GOCCs and GFIs – which puts these institutions in danger of being politicized.

Text-based raffle to plug revenue leaks

Now here’s one text raffle promo that would surely bring in much needed revenue to government coffers. Philweb Corp.’s Roberto Ongpin recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Finance Secretary Gary Teves, BIR Commissioner Jose Mario Buñag and PAGCOR chairman and CEO Efraim Genuino to launch "Premyo sa Resibo," a nationwide text-based raffle program that would motivate consumers to demand receipts for all purchases. Under the project, consumers can text their receipt details at a minimal cost and will receive a confirmation number that would serve as their raffle ticket entry, with as much as P100 million per week to be won. Under the MOU, PAGCOR will manage the raffle system while Philweb will provide all the hardware and software requirements, plus publicity and promotions. Critical to the program will be the support of mobile telephone companies by providing subsidized rates for text messages. Spybiz heard that Smart Communications has agreed to be the lead mobile service provider for this project that is expected to be launched this June. The first draw is slated for August to coincide with BIR’s anniversary. The project is expected to plug the loophole in revenue collections estimated at P50 billion annually because of establishments that do not issue receipts and customers that do not demand for one.

Spy tidbiz: Tom throws in the towel

Our Ear-Spy heard that Tom Zita Jr., the handsome and dynamic chairman of the board and president of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts and Shangri-La Plaza Philippines, has decided to throw in the towel not only working in Shangri-La but in the country as well. Tom, a visionary and multi-awarded management honcho, is reportedly moving his entire family to New York permanently. Sources said he was frustrated by "all the political b.s." that’s been happening, which continues to drag the country down. Tom’s leadership has made the Shang hotels a byword in the industry. He will be a big loss not only to the hotel industry and the Kuok Group but also to the Philippines as well.

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