Foreign businessmen pleased with impeachment outcome

Foreign businessmen who talked on condition of anonymity openly admitted to Spy Bits that they were happy with the conclusion of the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona because it made the perception of an even playing field much stronger. The guilty verdict certainly put the judiciary on notice, these businessmen said, recalling several instances of alleged “questionable” Supreme Court decisions on a number of issues involving foreign businesses, among them equity in public utility firms. The businessmen cited decisions that have obviously been biased against the foreign investors allegedly because of money changing hands.  

At the very least, the removal of Corona is symbolic of the impending eradication of obstacles – primarily corruption not only in the judiciary but in many government agencies – that for so long have made it difficult for the country to progress, the Spy Bits sources added. A World Bank study conducted in 2008 listed the Philippines as one of the most corrupt countries in Asia. The perception has not changed that much since then, with reports from Transparency International and the Political & Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC) saying the Philippines continues to be hampered by corruption.

Foreign investors lament the “extra” expenses needed to facilitate the processing of licenses and other business requirements, with a number of them admitting they have had to give “incentives” to certain government officials and employees for the paperwork to move faster. American businessmen are most especially wary of this “practice” because the US Foreign corrupt practices Act makes it a crime for American companies to give “payments” (bribes) to foreign government officials just to secure, expand or retain their businesses. Just recently, Wal-Mart figured in a highly publicized corruption scandal with accusations that the giant supermarket chain paid off Mexican officials to obtain permits to build new stores in Mexico.

No doubt it’s not going to be “business as usual” for the corrupt and the crooked, the foreign businessmen happily noted.

MVP call: Save the rivers

Philex Mining chairman Manny Pangilinan is supposed to be the guest speaker today at the first International River Summit in Iloilo City but he had to rush off to Hong Kong for the annual shareholder’s meeting of the First Pacific Co. where he serves as managing director. Nevertheless, MVP sent his new SVP for corporate affairs, lawyer Mike Toledo, to read the speech before Iloilo local government leaders and officials from the DENR and DILG.

In his speech, MVP noted the successful experience of Iloilo in rehabilitating the Iloilo River, noting how critical it was for the city government to efficiently transfer communities located along the riverbanks to other sites in an “orderly and humane manner.” Everyone knows that relocation efforts have often led to violent confrontation due to resistance put up by relocatees.

Noting the sorry state of many of our rivers – 50 of which have been declared biologically dead, Pangilinan succinctly stated several major reasons that have led to the demise of many of our rivers: poor planning, lack of law enforcement, and most of all, population pressure, compounded by the apathy displayed by people who treat our rivers and other water systems as garbage bins and septic tanks.

In any case, we’re sure President Noy will be happy to note the collaboration between government and the private sector – specifically the Department of Science and Technology and Smart Communications and Sun Cellular (both under the PLDT Group) to develop a program aptly called “Project Noah” where flood monitoring and warning systems will be built in 18 of the country’s major river systems. 

A key component is an optical remote sensing technology called the LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) system that can generate very accurate topographical maps of the 18 target river basins. Combined with rainfall data, these LIDAR maps can help DOST create computer-generated flood forecasting models that hopefully, can help prevent the devastating consequences of floods like the ones wrought by typhoons Ondoy, Sendong, Frank and others.

Weber Shandwick appointed as Tokyo 2020 PR agency

New York-based PR and communications firm Weber Shandwick has been appointed by Tokyo 2020 as its global public relations agency to support the bid to host the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games. The International Olympic Committee recently announced that Tokyo 2020 has made its shortlist of those who wish to host the much-awaited event.

Weber Shandwick is one of the world’s leading global public relations firms with offices in major media, business and government capitals around the world, and its appointment reaffirms the confidence the Japan Olympic Bid Committee has always had in the agency, previously working together with Weber Shandwick on the Tokyo 2016 Olympic bid campaign.

According to executives, Tokyo is confident in the strength of the new bid, baring improved plans fully integrated with the city and its people. The agency said it aims to “deliver a legacy of long-term benefits for Tokyo, Japan and international sport.”

The award-winning communications firm also recently rolled out its new logo, and tagline – “engaging, always” – to showcase the agency’s growth in the past decade, highlighting the focus today on multiple channels and across many disciplines like social media, digital and content creation.  In the Philippines, the local office is headed by Diana Lesaca as president and COO who contributes over two decades of experience on advertising, having previously worked with such agencies as J. Walter Thompson, Lintas Manila and DraftFCB.

(Disclosure: This columnist is a board member of MFCB, the holding company of Weber Shandwick and DraftFCB.)

Spy tidbit

Minutes after the final verdict of the Corona impeachment trial, Twitter addicts had a heyday tweeting about the three senator-judges who voted to acquit, calling them the “MAD group” – Marcos, Arroyo and Defensor.

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