SMC directors subpoenaed for snubbing Senate probe

The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee headed by Sen. Joker Arroyo issued a subpoena yesterday to five directors of the San Miguel Corp. after they "snubbed" yesterday’s committee investigation on the coconut levy fund.

"Their absence is orchestrated! This is the first time that a committee investigation was ignored!" Arroyo fumed.

Subpoenaed were SMC directors Esperidion Laxa, Raul de Guzman, Hermogenes Tantoco, Benjamin Paulino and Allan Lee. Former President Joseph Estrada appointed them to the SMC board as representatives of the government-sequestered SMC shares.

Arroyo rescheduled the hearing to Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. Failure of the five to attend the hearing would make them liable for contempt.

The five directors have refused to resign from the SMC board despite calls from leaders of President Arroyo who said that delicadeza should have dictated their resignation with the change in administration.

Arroyo, however, stressed that the continued sitting of the five in the SMC is not at all an issue in the Senate investigation.

"What we want to know is why the five never reported to the Presidential Commission on Good Government the P28-billion SMC-Kirin deal. We also want to know why they voted that way," he said.

He noted that until now the five government directors in the SMC have not made a single report to the PCGG.

"This is highly irregular because they are at the SMC not on their own but as PCGG representatives. They should consult with and report to their principals on any major transaction for instructions but they never did!" he said.