MAILBOX: New Kolonwel mgm't denies allegation

Dear Editor, 

In behalf of Kolonwel Trading, I am now writing you to inform you of the damages caused to its business reputation as a result of the publication of an article in The Philippine STAR, Business Section last Feb. 26, 2012, involving reports emanating from unknown but supposed concerned DILG employees about unsubstantiated irregularities and tax delinquencies allegedly employed by my firm,

Actually, there is a new management and different set of investors comprising the present Kolonwel Trading and now affected by the baseless libelous innuendo in your publication.

Firstly, it is incredible that the personality behind the letter dated Feb. 5, 2012 involves concerned DILG employees. It is more plausible to assume that the mastermind of such a propaganda scheme involves merely losing bidders in the cited government contracts (DILG, DEPED, NFA and Pagcor) or their corrupt vassal employees and it may even be some corrupt BFP personnel because they stand to lose from the award of BFP contract to my firm.

Actually, there is a persistent campaign against my firm to silence it because of the several complaints it filed before the Office of the Ombudsman and courts regarding government contracts it is a participant. Actually, it is not anymore proper to discuss publicly its merit by Philippine STAR. It is clear in the records of the Office of the Ombudsman that my firm or its former employees who witness the anomalies in pursuing government contracts is seriously engaged in a crusade against corrupt government officials. For this reason, it is now your publication that was used and manipulated by said corrupt government officials to pressure my firm into withdrawing cooperation in the Ombudsman cases against them.

It is again unfair and libelous to refer to my firm as responsible in corrupting government officials and/or tricking the bidding process to get its cited government contracts. The truth of the matter is that the cited government contracts won by my firm in an honest and above board condition were successfully concluded to the satisfaction and without any major controversy from those government agencies. Its most competent evidence is the absence of any case or complaint of whatsoever nature relative to such successfully concluded government contract and as to those incidents cited in your column.

It is in the exercise of its right in this country that a complaint was filed by my firm against corrupt government officials and their farced bidding process. Thus, the affected government officials and their cohorts wanted to bring the BIR into the melee in the hope of likewise using it to exert pressure against my firm. My firm is a law abiding tax payer. It is an insult to the BIR to even consider that this kind of malicious scheme, like exposing my firm to public ridicule and attempting to use it like a bully to cow into silence my firm may be tapped as what was played upon you to publish their unworthy grievance. Sadly, your respectable newspaper was unfairly deceived to make it a part of the grand design to intimidate my firm and for purpose of making public unsubstantiated claims to damage its reputation and/or jeopardize its other government contracts.

In view of the foregoing, it is only fair that my now prejudiced firm by reason of the malicious imputation of a crime be furnished with the names of the supposed concerned DILG employees as it is prepared to test their supposed honest intention by way of a criminal action in a judicial proceeding. It is not scared to confront their charges publicly and in the open. Those concerned DILG employees if really motivated with public service must not be timid and just resort to dastardly misconduct of hiding their true identity. As to your newspaper, it is matter of fair play that my firm is similarly given the chance to put things in its proper perspective.

Meanwhile, my firm is anticipating the hopelessness of its appeal to you and in preparing for the worst scenario already referred this incident to a lawyer for appropriate legal action. It is now obvious that there is a consistent campaign to malign it in public by using the mass media as a tool for their malevolent attitudes towards crusading contractor, like my firm and whose only desire is to improve the shady atmosphere in government bidding and transactions.

We hope that you will give this matter your most preferred attention to rectify the damages to my firm and in order to preserve the integrity and competency of your publication. It is still my hope that your publication may appreciate the wisdom of its plea for fairness and for us to truly avoid the inconveniences of litigation, suit for damages and other costs.

Very truly yours,                                                                 

Peter Go Cheng

Sales Manager