Ongpin firm sues DBP exec for perjury

MANILA, Philippines - A company owned by businessman Roberto Ongpin filed yesterday a complaint for perjury against Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) acting corporate secretary Castoglio Martinez before the Makati City prosecutor’s office.

Delta Venture Resources Inc. (DVRI), which Ongpin owns, lodged the complaint against Martinez, claiming he came out with a paid advertisement based on a spurious board resolution in an alleged attempt to cover up the unauthorized representation of private lawyer Zenaida Ongkiko-Acorda as the bank’s “spokesperson” in Ongpin’s reported “behest loans” case.

DVRI officer Rodolfo Ma. Ponferrada filed the criminal complaint of perjury as Ongpin is currently in Europe for a business meeting.

In the complaint, Ponferrada said paid advertisements published in two leading national newspapers on Sept. 24 contained an alleged excerpt from a DBP board resolution that was supposedly adopted during its regular meeting last Aug. 3.

The paid advertisements quoted item “c” of the supposed board resolution signed by Martinez, which designated Acorda as the “official spokesperson of DBP” on the case involving the accounts of DVRI and Philex Mining Corp.

The complaint, however, stated that item “c” did not appear in the original copy of the Aug. 3 board resolution that the DBP attached to its complaint filed against Ongpin and 27 other individuals with the Office of the Ombudman.

Ponferrada said Martinez made it appear that Acorda is the DBP’s spokesperson and legal counsel on the DVRI case when in fact there was no authorization from the DBP Board giving her the power to act as such.

Ponferrada said Acorda repeatedly stressed she is the DBP’s spokesperson and legal counsel in several press conferences, but in a paid advertisement dated Aug. 18, DBP senior officers Edgardo Garcia, Benedicto Ernesto Bitonio, Jesus Guevara and Belinda Tejada said Acorda was not authorized to represent DBP, either as spokesperson or counsel.