MANILA, Philippines - After getting the senators to investigate alleged anomalies in the construction of the Iloilo Convention Center (ICC), a former provincial official admitted yesterday he had no evidence to prove his accusation or pin down Senate President Franklin Drilon for it.
In a hearing by the Senate Blue Ribbon committee on allegations of irregularities in the ICC project reportedly masterminded by Drilon, former provincial administrator Manuel Mejorada said he based his allegations only on newspaper articles, postings on websites including Wikipedia and on the Senate President’s own pronouncements.
Drilon, in a statement read at the opening of the hearing, admitted pushing for the ICC project but denied having the bidding for the project rigged.
Mejorada had earlier filed a plunder complaint against Drilon with the Office of the Ombudsman.
“Reading through the complaint affidavit, my accuser does not even state how I was supposed to have malversed or misused any public funds,” Drilon said, referring to Mejorada. “All he has are unfounded and irresponsible (if not illogical) conclusions. In fact, Mr. Mejorada, in his media statements, has admitted that he has no evidence of wrongdoing in this project.”
While admitting having requested for funding for the project, Drilon said he did not know if the funds were sourced from his Priority Development Assistance Fund or released through the Disbursement Acceleration Program. Even if the funds had been released through DAP, Drilon said no one could be held liable because the Supreme Court had not yet declared the funding measure unconstitutional at the time.
“What is important is to find out if there was stealing, did somebody profit from this, is there any evidence? All we have are conclusions that are sourced from Wikipedia,” Drilon said.
He also said he could not have influenced the bidding for the project in favor of a particular contractor. After two failed biddings, Hilmarc’s Construction Corp. bagged the contract under a negotiated arrangement, according to Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Rogelio Singson.
“To set the record straight, I had nothing to do with the bidding for the project. I did not participate in the constitution of the Bids and Awards Committee; I did not interfere with any part of the bidding process; nor did I nominate or appoint the winning bidder,” Drilon said.
He also stressed he had never recommended any supplier or even a single worker for the project.
He said it was only after the awarding of the contract that he learned from the DPWH the identity of the contractor.
“The preparation or conduct of the bidding, its award, or its implementation was wholly undertaken by DPWH and DOT (Department of Tourism),” Drilon emphasized.
Proud of project
He also said he was proud to be associated with the project even if it was not his brainchild as claimed by some of his critics. He called Mejorada’s claim of irregularity in the ICC project “baseless and malicious.”
“The ICC project is not overpriced. In fact, let me just highlight that I did not even participate in determining the approved budget for the ICC project, which is properly within the competence of the implementing agency, the DPWH and the DOT in this case,” he added.
The Senate President said the ICC was conceptualized in the second quarter of 2012 when he was having his regular consultations with representatives of the Iloilo hotel industry.
He said hotel owners informed him that their business would stand to gain from the development of a modern convention center that can play host to major international and local events.
A suggestion was made to build the convention center on a property being developed by Megaworld Property Inc. in Barangay Madurriao in Iloilo.
Drilon said that he and several prominent residents of Iloilo met with Megaworld president Andrew Tan on July 3, 2012 to discuss the idea, and the businessman expressed support.
Megaworld eventually donated a 17,371-square meter parcel of land within its property for the development of the ICC.
Drilon pointed out that the deed of donation prepared by Megaworld stipulated that the donated property must be used exclusively for the construction of ICC and that the firm’s conceptual design should be used for the project.
W.V. Coscolluela and Associates prepared the architectural and engineering design for the project as part of Megaworld’s donation to the government.
Tense moments
The hearing yesterday got a bit tense when Sen. Nancy Binay, whose father Vice President Jejomar Binay is being investigated by the Blue Ribbon sub-committee, started asking Singson if there had been any requests for funding for the ICC project from any legislator.
Drilon butted in and asked her to ask him the question instead.
“Why don’t our colleague ask me directly? Let us not beat around the bush,” Drilon said.
In his testimony yesterday, Mejorada cited what he called conflicting figures given by Drilon on the cost of the ICC in the latter’s various speeches.
Asked by Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara if he knew of anyone who profited from the ICC project, Mejorada said there was none.
Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. noted that the property donated for the ICC is owned by the DOT, although it has not yet received the titles from Megaworld.
“What is important is the deed of donation has been signed and the owner of the property is in possession of the property. In law, possession is 90 percent of ownership,” Drilon said.
Sen. Sergio Osmeña said the fact that Megaworld had insisted on using the designs prepared by W.V. Coscolluela and Associates indicated that the ICC was already part of its master plan for the property in Madurriao.
The Senate President also dismissed claims by former Iloilo congressman Augusto Syjuco Jr. that he had an undeclared mansion in Forbes Park as ramblings of a failed politician.
“I will not waste my time with him,” Drilon said.
Drilon said the Forbes Park property was inherited by his stepdaughter from the family of his wife Mila.
He said he would gladly give the property to Syjuco if the latter could prove the senator is its real owner.
“Syjuco is facing a lot of cases, not only at the ombudsman, but even with the Sandiganbayan. He has several graft and corruption cases, including the fertilizer fund scam, for which he has been issued a hold-departure order. He is currently out on bail,” Drilon said.
“We beat him in the 2013 elections when he was an incumbent (congressman) in his district. He has no credibility. Nobody believes him in Iloilo. That is why I do not want to waste my time on him. He is telling nothing but lies,” he added.
Meanwhile, Malacañang vouched for the integrity of Singson and Jimenez and maintained that there were no irregularities in the construction of the ICC.
“The project is aboveboard. You have Sec. Singson known for his professionalism and Sec. Jimenez also for his able stewardship of the Department of Tourism,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda told reporters yesterday.
“We are confident that Sec. Singson and Sec. Jimenez were able to explain in full and are prepared to continue to explain whenever it is required on the mechanics of the bidding process of the Iloilo Convention Center,” he added.
In Iloilo City, Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog has called on his constituents to support his move to have Mejorada declared persona non grata.
On a Facebook post, Mabilog called Mejorada’s failure to present evidence against Drilon “disgraceful.” With Alexis Romero, Jennifer Ponsaran Rendon