Misrepresentation

This refers to the article published in The Philippine STAR Business issue dated Nov. 5, 2014 entitled “UN body launches Yolanda housing proj”.

The Office of the Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery (OPARR) wishes to clarify that Secretary Panfilo M. Lacson does not have any scheduled site inspection on Nov. 18, 2014 on the supposed 167-hectare housing project for 35,000 families in Tanauan, Leyte or any resettlement called United Nations International Friendship Community (UNIFC) with 80,000 housing units.

A certain Mr. Victor A. Salvacion, who represented himself to be a Secretary of United Nations Overseas Development Assistance (UN-ODA), came to our office with Vice President Jejomar Binay on Oct. 22, 1014. This was the same day when Secretary Lacson was having a meeting with Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa regarding Yolandas rehabilitation updates. While he made a short presentation regarding his supposed project in Tanauan, Mr. Salvacion never returned to our office to provide details or how it would proceed in the effort.

After the said meeting, OPARR conducted a background investigation and records check on the person of Victor Salvacion. Per verification with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN- OCHA), it was revealed that Salvacion’s “UN-ODA” is not part of the UN system operating in the country. There is, however, a UNODA, United Nations Office for Disarmament Affair, with office headquarters in New York, USA.

Records also show that sometime in January 2005, the National Bureau of Investigation arrested and charged a certain Victor Aguilar y Salvacion and one Jerry Fuentebella for alleged falsification of public documents that could have led to the granting of a 50-year P190-million development contract of a Philippine property in Japan to Nagayama-Tasei Consortium.

Fuentebella, who alleged that he is a nephew of former Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales, and Salvacion, who had an ID from the Office of the President during the arrest, admitted that they were acting as dummies of the said firm. (Please see attached news article, GMANews/Feb. 21, 2006)

Cognizant of The Philippine STAR’s advocacy for balanced and accurate reporting, we sincerely trust that the clarification made above will be considered.

Thank you very much

Yours Truly,

P/Dir Victo G. Batac PNP (Ret)

Assistant Secretary