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Senate President Franklin Drilon insisted Thursday the Iloilo
Convention Center was not overpriced as alleged by his former staff. He
welcomed the conduct of the Senate investigation on the matter as an
opportunity for the public to hear both sides.
“In defense of my name, my honor and my family, I specifically and
categorically deny the baseless, speculative, and wild allegations of
Mr. (Manuel) Mejorada. I did not commit any wrongdoing in the
construction of the Iloilo Convention Center,” Drilon said in his speech
at the start of the hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.
Drilon said he will inhibit from the probe but will make himself available to answer questions.
“Considering the allegations against me, although malicious and
patently baseless, it is to the interest of truth that I inhibit from
this investigation. I will not ask any question, I will not participate
in the crafting of the report. I will, however, make myself available to
answer questions,” he said.
He said he will submit to the committee his four-page sworn statement detailing his knowledge of the project.
“I vehemently deny the accusation that I caused the ICC Project to be
overpriced. The ICC Project is not overpriced. On the contrary, because
of my initiative, the government, through the Department of Tourism,
acquired for free through a donation, a 17,371-square-meter prime
property worth at least P521 million for the ICC site,” Drilon added.
He also said that throughout his career as a public servant, he was never charged in any court for graft and corrupt practices.
In his 27 years in public service, he has spearheaded numerous
big-ticket infrastructure projects that benefited the country, the
senator claimed.
“Despite the amounts involved
in the construction of these projects, I have never been called by the
Ombudsman to respond to any allegation of corruption. Moreover, I have
never been charged in any court with the commission of malversation of
public funds or any act amounting to graft and corruption,” he said.
Unfair to DOT, DPWH
Among the projects Drilon spearheaded were hundreds of courtrooms in
the Halls of Justice across the country, which were constructed when he
was the Justice secretary; 1,600 classrooms built at half the cost of
similar structures in partnership with the Federation of Filipino
Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc.; and the P6.5-billion
Iloilo International Airport.
Drilon said the
accusations were unfair to Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson,
Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez, their staff, and the people of Iloilo.
“It is disheartening to witness relentless smear campaigns against a
forthright project which aims to spur economic activities and generate
jobs,” he said.
“It is lamentable to see vile
attempts to discredit the good names of Secretaries Singson and Jimenez,
who like myself, have nothing else to leave behind as legacy except our
reputation,” he added.
Drilon reiterated he
had nothing to do with the bidding of the project, because the
Department of Public Works and Highway (DPWH) and Department of Tourism
(DOT) implemented the project.
“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,” he said.
He did not recommend any supplier or laborer in the construction of the Project, the senator added.
“The preparation or conduct of the bidding, its award, or its
implementation was wholly undertaken by DPWH and DOT,” Drilon said. —KG/VS, GMA News
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