ICC probe

The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee probe into the alleged overpriced Iloilo Convention Center (ICC) — the pet project of Senator Franklin Drilon — revealed similarities with the Makati City Hall Parking Building II.

The two structures had the same contractor: Hilmarc’s Construction Corp., who won various projects in Makati like Makati University, police station, swimming pool, and Ospital ng Makati.

Both had phases: The ICC first phase cost P492 million and the second phase was P254 million.

Insisting that there was no overpricing in the ICC construction, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Rogelio Singson said the ICC cost about P53,000, and possibly a high of P55,000 per square meter (sqm) due to its revised phase 2 that brought down to its original estimated amount of P63,000 per sqm.  

Witnesses in the controversial Makati City Hall Parking Building II had claimed it should only cost P31,000-P33,000. The said parking building has 11 floors while the ICC has four, both including roof decks.

Considering the cost of the ICC (P750 million), the cost of P2.2 billion for the Makati City Hall Parking Building II appears to be reasonable as it had a more expensive foundation because it was built on soft ground.

The ICC is said to be one of 6 government infrastructure projects that would supposedly prove that the Makati City Hall II Parking Building was not overpriced.

When asked on first day of ICC probe, the complainant, former Iloilo provincial Administrator Manuel Mejorada, toting a luggage that he said was full of documents, admitted he has no evidence of overpricing against Senator Franklin Drilon.

Mejorada, who presented himself as an investigative journalist, told Senator Juan Edgardo Angara who asked for categorical evidence to prove his allegations, that he has no concrete evidence to back up his charges against the Senate President because he has no subpoena powers. He said he may not have evidence to prove overpricing, but he saw “big opportunities for corruption.” Senate probers has yet to rule out the allegations of overpricing.

DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson, who presented the detailed bidding process of the ICC construction, said he was satisfied with Hilmarc’s work. Earlier this month, he offered to quit if it is proven that he pocketed even a single centavo for the construction of the convention center.

Senator T.G. Guingona has scheduled another hearing with former Congressman Augusto Syjuco Jr. who also accused Drilon of alleged corruption; Megaworld who donated to the Department of Tourism (DOT) the land on which the ICC was constructed.; and architect Willie Coscoluela who prepared the architectural and engineering design, as additional resource persons, among others.

Revilla’s signatures forged

Senator Bong Revilla’s first witness, Desiderio Pagui, a former National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) senior document examiner and one of the Supreme Court’s recognized Handwriting and Document Forensics experts, testified Thursday at the Sandiganbayan that all the signatures purportedly belonging to Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla were absolutely forged and unquestionably forgeries.

Pagui’s testimony bolsters Ben Hur Luy’s admission that he faked PDAF documents and forged the signatures of legislators.

Meanwhile, Napoles will present next week a witness from the Bureau of Immigration (BI) that will prove that she was out of the country during the period Luy allegedly distributed kickbacks to several lawmakers, including Revilla.

The Sandiganbayan approved Revilla’s request to undergo a medical checkup on Nov. 17.

Malacañang hits Pimentel

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma criticized Senator Koko Pimentel for saying that President Aquino should keep his hands off the Senate investigation against Vice President Binay.

Coloma said President Aquino was just expressing his views on the lawful means to ferret out the truth and exact accountability.

Pimentel had accused President Aquino of interference in a co-equal branch of government.

The Pimentel subcommittee had conducted 12 hearings but still plan to continue hearing until May. It is obvious that Pimentel, Cayetano and Trillanes are extending the probe to get maximum news coverage of the three senators who have plans to run for higher office in 2016.

As former chairman of the blue ribbon committee we used to have hearings as much as five days a week. The Pimentel subcommittee holds hearings only once a week.

13 PNP officials face raps over missing AK47

The Ombudsman builds up a case on its own when Philippine National Police (PNP) has failed to file graft complaints against retired and incumbent generals over 1,004 missing firearms, which ended up in the hands of the communist New People’s Army (NPA).

Several retired and incumbent police generals are facing criminal and administrative complaints, namely        Gil Meneses,  director for PNP Civil Security Group; Napoleon Estilles, director for Plans and former head of the Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO); Raul Petrasanta, chief superintendent of PNP Police Regional Office 3 and former FEO head; Tom Rentoy, former chief of PNP Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies; Regino Catiis, acting executive officer of the PNP Directorate for Comptrollership and formerly chief of the FEO licensing division.

The other respondents are Senior Superintendent Eduardo Acierto Jr., former chief of the FEO licensing division; Senior Superintendent Allan Parreno, Superintendent Nelson Bautista, Chief Inspector Ricky Sumalde, Chief Inspector Ricardo Zapata Jr., Chief Inspector Rodrigo Benedicto Sarmiento, Senior Police Officer 1 Eric Tan, SPO1 Randy de Sesto, 3 non-uniformed personnel Isidro Lozada of Caraga Security Agency, representatives of gun supplier, and Twin Pines Inc.

Tidbits

Vice President Jejomar Binay formally apologized to the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) for backing out of a debate with Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, which he himself proposed on Nov. 27.

Renan Dalisay, former aide of food security chief Francis Pangilinan is now the new administrator of the National Food Authority (NFA).