By Ephraim Aguilar, Mar S. Arguelles
Inquirer Southern Luzon
First Posted 18:50:00 03/06/2010
INQUIRER.net
DARAGA, Albay, Philippines—Illegal gambling scam whistle-blower Wilfredo “Boy” Mayor, 54, who was shot dead last Sunday, was laid to rest in a simple interment rites here Saturday afternoon.
More than 500 people, mostly family members, friends and supporters, brought him to his grave at the Pristine Memorial Gardens in nearby Legazpi City.
Speaking for the bereaved family, Mayor's daughter Maybell said they were leaving his father's murderers on the hands of God for justice.
“Bahala na saindo an Dios. Maabot man an panahon nindo (May God deal with you. Your time will come),” she said with trembling hands in her eulogy at the Tagas Chapel.
“I know that my father has already forgiven you. But you have given the Lord no choice but to deal with you just as your conscience is dealing with you now,” she added.
Maybelle added that his father was not perfect but she asked the people who had nothing good to say about him to respect his memory.
No politicians were seen in the burial, except for the writhes they had sent.
One of the bouquets came from Senator Panfilo Lacson, the one who brought Mayor to the Senate to reveal the alleged involvement of the First Family in “jueteng” payoffs.
Lacson is currently hiding, shunning his pending arrest in relation to the Dacer-Corbito murder case.
Not even Mayor's friend and fellow whistle-blower Sandra Cam was present in the event.
Mayor's supporters from Barangay (Village) Tagas, where he lived and once served as barangay chairman, wore black shirts with Mayor's face printed on them.
“Tagas” literally means tough in the local dialect, and they used it to describe their former leader.
“Talagang matagas ka (You are really tough),” the T-shirts bore.
Words written on a ribbon on Mayor's silver-grey coffin read, “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept my faith.”
A task force that was formed by the Philippine National Police arrived here Tuesday to gather leads about the murder.
Chief Supt. Cecilio Calleja, Bicol police director, said the task force had been interviewing people related to Mayor and had also been verifying statements released by Cam to the media.
Cam, who visited the wake of Mayor at his residence in Daraga, Albay, on Thursday, said she believed that Mayor’s planned exposé on public works projects triggered the plot to kill him, but she did not rule out the jueteng and casino debt angles.
She added that she was not accusing businessman Zaldy Co and his brother of masterminding the killing of Mayor. In a previous radio interview, Cam said Mayor mentioned Co as the biggest contractor in Bicol, cornering most of the public works projects in the region.
A successful businessman and a philanthropist, Co incidentally owns the Pristine Memorial Gardens.
Cam said that in her conversation with Mayor, he told her about a P40-million public works project he was pursuing at the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and that a public works official told him to shell out a 20-percent SOP (standard operating procedure), a euphemism for commission in order to get the project.
Cam, however, did not name the DPWH official.
Running a local construction firm, Mayor has shifted to the construction business after the “jueteng” scam controversy.
Archbishop Oscar Cruz supported Cam's claims in a statement made through the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) website.
Cruz, who spoke to Mayor four days before his death, said Mayor was about to identify eight or nine lawmakers involved in the public works scam had he not been liquidated.
Showing posts with label government corruption. Show all posts
Showing posts with label government corruption. Show all posts
Saturday, March 06, 2010
Friday, May 01, 2009
Lozada family in Albay worried, angry
By Ephraim Aguilar
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:07:00 05/01/2009
INQUIRER.net
LIGAO CITY, Albay -- Even if they already knew that an arrest was going to happen, the family of Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada, the key witness to the alleged corruption in the scuttled National Broadband Network contract, could not keep themselves calm.
Roberto Vargas, 59, Lozada’s brother-in-law, said the whistleblower was constantly communicating with his family here in Bicol, mentioning about a possible arrest on perjury charges.
Watching news of the arrest on TV, Lozada’s eldest sister Carmen was “worried and angry,” said Vargas.
Carmen left Bicol for Manila Wednesday night to show support to her brother.
“Even though we knew about the arrest even before it happened, the family was still in shock. We felt disgust over the country’s justice system,” Vargas added.
He said the family considered the arrest a form of political harassment.
“Who would believe that the perjury case was filed only to protect Mike Defensor’s reputation? There is certainly more to it than that,” Vargas said.
“But it’s up for the public to judge. We just have to read between the lines,” he added.
Vargas also said the family supported Lozada’s refusal to post bail and honored his steadfast willingness to face the battle.
But Vargas said the family could not help but worry about Lozada’s safety.
“Baka may mangyaring masama sa kanya (Something bad might happen to him),” Vargas said.
The Senate has withdrawn the security it gave to Lozada but Vargas said the family was thankful for the nuns who have been guarding him and who have been holding vigils for him.
“The family needs everyone’s prayers for Jun’s safety,” Vargas said.
To the left of the city hall are small convenience stores owned by the Lozada family.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer tried to interview one of Lozada’s aunts in one of the stores but the old woman irately said, “I don’t care about him. I don’t know him!”
Vargas later apologized to the Inquirer, explaining that not everyone in the family had the courage to face Lozada’s battle.
He said Lozada’s aunt has always been afraid of people prying on family matters.
The Lozada family here is known to be private and religious.
When Lozada was still touring schools to give talks, he would visit his family here in Bicol.
Vargas said Lozada, who was once tagged “probinsyanong intsik (Chinese from the province),” would always tell them that he never regretted telling the truth at the expense of his freedom and safety.
He would always tell the family, “My soul is intact. I have no regrets.”
But Vargas said Lozada also admitted that it was hard explaining everything to his wife and children, who are now facing a new ordeal after the arrest.
Pastor Dan Balucio, secretary general of the Promotion of Church People’s Response (PCPR) in Bicol, said Lozada’s arrest only proved the government’s continual “manipulation of truth and justice” in order to cover up the anomalous transactions involving high-ranking government officials.
Balucio said religious and civic organizations that supported Lozada at the height of the NBN deal controversy decided to launch the Free Jun Lozada Movement after the Labor Day celebration.
“We will conduct prayer rallies and mass mobilizations to call for Lozada’s freedom and the dumping of the case against him,” Balucio said in a phone interview.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:07:00 05/01/2009
INQUIRER.net
LIGAO CITY, Albay -- Even if they already knew that an arrest was going to happen, the family of Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada, the key witness to the alleged corruption in the scuttled National Broadband Network contract, could not keep themselves calm.
Roberto Vargas, 59, Lozada’s brother-in-law, said the whistleblower was constantly communicating with his family here in Bicol, mentioning about a possible arrest on perjury charges.
Watching news of the arrest on TV, Lozada’s eldest sister Carmen was “worried and angry,” said Vargas.
Carmen left Bicol for Manila Wednesday night to show support to her brother.
“Even though we knew about the arrest even before it happened, the family was still in shock. We felt disgust over the country’s justice system,” Vargas added.
He said the family considered the arrest a form of political harassment.
“Who would believe that the perjury case was filed only to protect Mike Defensor’s reputation? There is certainly more to it than that,” Vargas said.
“But it’s up for the public to judge. We just have to read between the lines,” he added.
Vargas also said the family supported Lozada’s refusal to post bail and honored his steadfast willingness to face the battle.
But Vargas said the family could not help but worry about Lozada’s safety.
“Baka may mangyaring masama sa kanya (Something bad might happen to him),” Vargas said.
The Senate has withdrawn the security it gave to Lozada but Vargas said the family was thankful for the nuns who have been guarding him and who have been holding vigils for him.
“The family needs everyone’s prayers for Jun’s safety,” Vargas said.
To the left of the city hall are small convenience stores owned by the Lozada family.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer tried to interview one of Lozada’s aunts in one of the stores but the old woman irately said, “I don’t care about him. I don’t know him!”
Vargas later apologized to the Inquirer, explaining that not everyone in the family had the courage to face Lozada’s battle.
He said Lozada’s aunt has always been afraid of people prying on family matters.
The Lozada family here is known to be private and religious.
When Lozada was still touring schools to give talks, he would visit his family here in Bicol.
Vargas said Lozada, who was once tagged “probinsyanong intsik (Chinese from the province),” would always tell them that he never regretted telling the truth at the expense of his freedom and safety.
He would always tell the family, “My soul is intact. I have no regrets.”
But Vargas said Lozada also admitted that it was hard explaining everything to his wife and children, who are now facing a new ordeal after the arrest.
Pastor Dan Balucio, secretary general of the Promotion of Church People’s Response (PCPR) in Bicol, said Lozada’s arrest only proved the government’s continual “manipulation of truth and justice” in order to cover up the anomalous transactions involving high-ranking government officials.
Balucio said religious and civic organizations that supported Lozada at the height of the NBN deal controversy decided to launch the Free Jun Lozada Movement after the Labor Day celebration.
“We will conduct prayer rallies and mass mobilizations to call for Lozada’s freedom and the dumping of the case against him,” Balucio said in a phone interview.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
GMA, allies hit for taking control of power sector
LEGAZPI CITY--THE MILITANT group Bayan-Bikol (Bagong Alyansang Makabayan) sounded the alarm bells as it alleged President Macapagal-Arroyo’s relatives and allies to be inching their way to the “lucrative” power industry.
This came after Aboitiz Power Corp. affiliate AP Renewables Inc. topped the bid for the government’s 747.5-megawatt Tiwi-Makban geothermal facilities in Albay, Laguna and Batangas provinces with an offer of $446.9 million.
The Lopez group’s First Luzon Geothermal Energy Corp., offering $368.4 million lost in the bid.
Tessa Lopez, Bayan-Bikol spokesperson, said the Aboitiz group is “most-favored” by Ms Arroyo because her brother, Diosdado Macapagal Jr., is one of its owners.
“Now all indications point that (Ms Arroyo) wants to control the power sector. The moves of her relatives and allies to corner the power market are part of a game plan,” Lopez said.
The militant group bared a time line showing Ms Arroyo’s “ulterior motives to control the power sector.”
First, Lopez said, President Arroyo authored the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (Epira) as a senator, then approved it as President.
Then she ordered Dato Arroyo to run for congressman of the first district of Camarines Sur.
Afterwards, her eldest son, Mikey Arroyo, was placed as head of the energy committee in Congress with Dato and Negros Rep. Ignacio “Iggy” Arroyo as members.
Also, the bidding for the 25-year concession contract to operate the National Transmission Co. (Transco) was won by Monte Oro Grid Resources Corp., which is owned by Ms Arroyo’s ally, Enrique Razon Jr., who is “discreetly tied to her brother Diosdado Macapagal Jr.”
Monte Oro Grid Resources Corp. is the same company that is financing the proposed coal mining in Catanduanes province, Lopez added.
“Arroyo appointed her close ally Zenaida Ducut as the chair of the Energy Regulatory Commission [ERC]. Then she ordered the takeover of the Albay Electric Cooperative [Aleco], which is a transition to privatization,” Lopez said.
On the Manila Electric Co. controversy, Lopez said, “Of course, Meralco and the Lopezes have to be investigated on claims that Meralco over-charged and even passed its electric bills to consumers, at the very least they should refund this to the people.”
But, she said, the public should remain vigilant against possible ulterior motives that the President has to control the power industry.
Exploration of the geothermal area in Tiwi started in 1972. A year after, the Naglagbong well was discovered.
At present, there are 39 production wells and 21 injection wells at the site.
Tiwi geothermal, which started commercial operations on Jan. 11, 1979, had an installed capacity of 289 megawatts and available capacity of 234 megawatts as of July 2007.
Its cumulative gross generation as of December 2005 was 40,166 gigawatt-hours. Ephraim Aguilar, Inquirer Southern Luzon
This came after Aboitiz Power Corp. affiliate AP Renewables Inc. topped the bid for the government’s 747.5-megawatt Tiwi-Makban geothermal facilities in Albay, Laguna and Batangas provinces with an offer of $446.9 million.
The Lopez group’s First Luzon Geothermal Energy Corp., offering $368.4 million lost in the bid.
Tessa Lopez, Bayan-Bikol spokesperson, said the Aboitiz group is “most-favored” by Ms Arroyo because her brother, Diosdado Macapagal Jr., is one of its owners.
“Now all indications point that (Ms Arroyo) wants to control the power sector. The moves of her relatives and allies to corner the power market are part of a game plan,” Lopez said.
The militant group bared a time line showing Ms Arroyo’s “ulterior motives to control the power sector.”
First, Lopez said, President Arroyo authored the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (Epira) as a senator, then approved it as President.
Then she ordered Dato Arroyo to run for congressman of the first district of Camarines Sur.
Afterwards, her eldest son, Mikey Arroyo, was placed as head of the energy committee in Congress with Dato and Negros Rep. Ignacio “Iggy” Arroyo as members.
Also, the bidding for the 25-year concession contract to operate the National Transmission Co. (Transco) was won by Monte Oro Grid Resources Corp., which is owned by Ms Arroyo’s ally, Enrique Razon Jr., who is “discreetly tied to her brother Diosdado Macapagal Jr.”
Monte Oro Grid Resources Corp. is the same company that is financing the proposed coal mining in Catanduanes province, Lopez added.
“Arroyo appointed her close ally Zenaida Ducut as the chair of the Energy Regulatory Commission [ERC]. Then she ordered the takeover of the Albay Electric Cooperative [Aleco], which is a transition to privatization,” Lopez said.
On the Manila Electric Co. controversy, Lopez said, “Of course, Meralco and the Lopezes have to be investigated on claims that Meralco over-charged and even passed its electric bills to consumers, at the very least they should refund this to the people.”
But, she said, the public should remain vigilant against possible ulterior motives that the President has to control the power industry.
Exploration of the geothermal area in Tiwi started in 1972. A year after, the Naglagbong well was discovered.
At present, there are 39 production wells and 21 injection wells at the site.
Tiwi geothermal, which started commercial operations on Jan. 11, 1979, had an installed capacity of 289 megawatts and available capacity of 234 megawatts as of July 2007.
Its cumulative gross generation as of December 2005 was 40,166 gigawatt-hours. Ephraim Aguilar, Inquirer Southern Luzon
Saturday, August 02, 2008
COA lists 19 audit violations of Legazpi water firm
LEGAZPI CITY—A GOVERNment-owned water utility firm here is under public scrutiny after the Commission on Audit reported that it had violated audit rules and guidelines in 2006 involving almost P11 million of its funds.
The COA report said the Legazpi City Water District (LCWD), the capital’s water supplier for 27 years, had committed 19 audit violations, including illegal disbursement of corporate funds, understatement of loans payable, misclassification of expenses, and unrecognized tax and interest liabilities.
The report was done in October 2007 and was released in the wake of the LCWD’s implementation of a 47-percent water rate increase.
The increase was questioned for alleged bidding anomalies and lack of consultation before the LCWD sealed a deal with Philippine Hydro Inc., which will run a P300-million bulk water supply project and sell water to the LCWD for P13.50 per cubic meter.
Raul Chua, LCWD general manager, said the violations were only procedural in nature and could be rectified.
“None of the violations pertained to malversation of funds. We did not rob any amount from the corporation. But we have been victims of trial by publicity even if the COA findings cannot yet even be considered final,” Chua said.
One violation cited by the COA was the LCWD’s failure to comply with requirements under Presidential Decree No. 198 in the repair and rehabilitation of the Rapu-Rapu Water Supply System, resulting in the illegal disbursement of corporate funds worth P1.3 million.
The report also noted that after a COA inspection on May 23, 2007, a P389,900 Honda Civic described in the LCWD’s books as “In Service” and “Fully Depreciated” could not be found.
Based on previous audits, it said, the Honda Civic was under Chua’s car plan.
Contesting the COA claim that the car plan was not authorized by the LCWD’s board, Chua showed the Inquirer an authenticated copy of a board resolution showing that he was legally “entitled to a car plan.”
“It is for this reason that we are filing an appeal to the COA for its wrong observations, though we will readily accept the correct ones,” he said.
Chua said most items in the report were nothing but “errors,” like misclassification of expenses, which they were already correcting based on the COA recommendations. Ephraim Aguilar, Inquirer Southern Luzon
The COA report said the Legazpi City Water District (LCWD), the capital’s water supplier for 27 years, had committed 19 audit violations, including illegal disbursement of corporate funds, understatement of loans payable, misclassification of expenses, and unrecognized tax and interest liabilities.
The report was done in October 2007 and was released in the wake of the LCWD’s implementation of a 47-percent water rate increase.
The increase was questioned for alleged bidding anomalies and lack of consultation before the LCWD sealed a deal with Philippine Hydro Inc., which will run a P300-million bulk water supply project and sell water to the LCWD for P13.50 per cubic meter.
Raul Chua, LCWD general manager, said the violations were only procedural in nature and could be rectified.
“None of the violations pertained to malversation of funds. We did not rob any amount from the corporation. But we have been victims of trial by publicity even if the COA findings cannot yet even be considered final,” Chua said.
One violation cited by the COA was the LCWD’s failure to comply with requirements under Presidential Decree No. 198 in the repair and rehabilitation of the Rapu-Rapu Water Supply System, resulting in the illegal disbursement of corporate funds worth P1.3 million.
The report also noted that after a COA inspection on May 23, 2007, a P389,900 Honda Civic described in the LCWD’s books as “In Service” and “Fully Depreciated” could not be found.
Based on previous audits, it said, the Honda Civic was under Chua’s car plan.
Contesting the COA claim that the car plan was not authorized by the LCWD’s board, Chua showed the Inquirer an authenticated copy of a board resolution showing that he was legally “entitled to a car plan.”
“It is for this reason that we are filing an appeal to the COA for its wrong observations, though we will readily accept the correct ones,” he said.
Chua said most items in the report were nothing but “errors,” like misclassification of expenses, which they were already correcting based on the COA recommendations. Ephraim Aguilar, Inquirer Southern Luzon
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Bicol congressman denies owning Ferrari: How I wish
11 January 2008
LEGAZPI CITY—ALBAY REP. AL FRANCIS Bichara said he did not own a Ferrari.
“How I wish. It’s a dream car,” said Bichara, who denied owning four of the 81 luxury cars seized in Makati last month.
Bichara, who flew to Albay yesterday from Manila, clarified that the cars he owned were two Jeep Cherokees, both of which were 1995 models, a Jaguar and a Volvo. He earlier denied owning a Lamborghini.
He said some of the cars he owned were bought second-hand.
Bichara said he purchased one Cherokee for only P300,000 and that he brought home the Jaguar after his stint as Philippine ambassador to Lebanon. He acquired the Volvo in the Philippines.
The Land Transportation Office said the congressman’s cars were legitimately registered.
Bichara said LTO chief Reynaldo Berroya erred in saying he owned a Ferrari as published in the Inquirer on Thursday.
The congressman said he had brought three of his cars to the high-end repair shop in Makati City last November for their annual maintenance check.
‘Character assassinated’
“I was just a regular customer in that shop but since I happened to be a politician, they are dragging my name into the false controversy,” Bichara said.
He added that the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) had violated his rights.
“I am being character assassinated here,” said the lawmaker, who called members of the PASG “publicity-hungry vultures.”
Bichara said he had talked to President Macapagal-Arroyo, warning her about what the PASG was doing. “I’m sure many others are complaining about the PASG.”
“You cannot just barge into any shop and impound all the cars there,” he said.
Bichara said that, noticeably, the PASG and the LTO were embroiled in a dispute, with the former accusing the latter of involvement in the smuggling of cars at the ports.
What’s wrong with LTO
Bichara said what was wrong with the LTO was that when the cars were cleared it no longer asked how much in taxes was paid by the owners to the Bureau of Customs.
“The problem lies with customs. When taxes for these cars are under-declared, that’s what the government has to watch out for,” Bichara said.
“Some of the cars seized (in the raid) were old cars, like my Cherokee, whose original owner, if you trace its history, is a consul. I could probably be its third or fourth owner.”
Berroya on Wednesday said a check of LTO records showed 47 of the seized cars had legitimate registration papers while 13 had not been issued license plates and 22 had no records. Reports from Ephraim Aguilar and Jaymee Gamil, Inquirer Southern Luzon
LEGAZPI CITY—ALBAY REP. AL FRANCIS Bichara said he did not own a Ferrari.
“How I wish. It’s a dream car,” said Bichara, who denied owning four of the 81 luxury cars seized in Makati last month.
Bichara, who flew to Albay yesterday from Manila, clarified that the cars he owned were two Jeep Cherokees, both of which were 1995 models, a Jaguar and a Volvo. He earlier denied owning a Lamborghini.
He said some of the cars he owned were bought second-hand.
Bichara said he purchased one Cherokee for only P300,000 and that he brought home the Jaguar after his stint as Philippine ambassador to Lebanon. He acquired the Volvo in the Philippines.
The Land Transportation Office said the congressman’s cars were legitimately registered.
Bichara said LTO chief Reynaldo Berroya erred in saying he owned a Ferrari as published in the Inquirer on Thursday.
The congressman said he had brought three of his cars to the high-end repair shop in Makati City last November for their annual maintenance check.
‘Character assassinated’
“I was just a regular customer in that shop but since I happened to be a politician, they are dragging my name into the false controversy,” Bichara said.
He added that the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) had violated his rights.
“I am being character assassinated here,” said the lawmaker, who called members of the PASG “publicity-hungry vultures.”
Bichara said he had talked to President Macapagal-Arroyo, warning her about what the PASG was doing. “I’m sure many others are complaining about the PASG.”
“You cannot just barge into any shop and impound all the cars there,” he said.
Bichara said that, noticeably, the PASG and the LTO were embroiled in a dispute, with the former accusing the latter of involvement in the smuggling of cars at the ports.
What’s wrong with LTO
Bichara said what was wrong with the LTO was that when the cars were cleared it no longer asked how much in taxes was paid by the owners to the Bureau of Customs.
“The problem lies with customs. When taxes for these cars are under-declared, that’s what the government has to watch out for,” Bichara said.
“Some of the cars seized (in the raid) were old cars, like my Cherokee, whose original owner, if you trace its history, is a consul. I could probably be its third or fourth owner.”
Berroya on Wednesday said a check of LTO records showed 47 of the seized cars had legitimate registration papers while 13 had not been issued license plates and 22 had no records. Reports from Ephraim Aguilar and Jaymee Gamil, Inquirer Southern Luzon
Albay solon owns 4 of 81 hot cars seized in Makati
10 January 2008
By Jolene R. Bulambot and Jhunnex Napallacan
Inquirer Visayas
and Ephraim Aguilar Inquirer Southern Luzon
CEBU CITY—A CONGRESSman from disaster-stricken Albay province owned four of the 81 luxury cars, including a Ferrari, that were seized in Makati City last month on suspicion these were smuggled.
But the Land Transportation Office (LTO) said the congressman’s cars were legitimately registered.
Albay Rep. Al Francis Bichara owned four of the cars, including a Ferrari, that were seized during a raid on a repair shop in Makati by the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG), according to LTO head Reynaldo Berroya.
Berroya, however, said there was nothing irregular in the registration of the congressman’s vehicles.
Bichara represents the second district of Albay, a province still reeling from devastation wrought by Typhoons Milenyo and Reming and mudslides from Mayon Volcano.
Bichara is known in his district as a collector of vintage cars.
“I collect junk and restore them. That’s what I do,” Bichara said. “I will not allow (the PASG) to destroy my reputation.”
Publicity-hungry
Bichara reacted strongly to reports that he owned the four cars, calling members of the PASG “publicity-hungry vultures.”
The congressman admitted he owned only three of the cars that were at the Makati auto shop during the raid for maintenance.
“It is just like I am trusting my doctor for the maintenance of these cars. But it does not mean that when a criminal is found inside the hospital, the rest of the patients are criminals, too,” Bichara said.
He said some of the cars that he owns were bought secondhand.
Jaguar
Bichara said that he bought a Cherokee for only P300,000 and that he brought home a Jaguar from his stint as Philippine ambassador to Lebanon.
He also said he owned a Volvo, which he bought in the Philippines. He said he didn’t own a Lamborghini.
“Why are they going after the third and fourth owners of these cars? I am not a smuggler. I have documents to prove I have acquired these cars legally and locally,” Bichara said in a mobile phone interview Wednesday noon.
The PASG conducted the raid after receiving reports the vehicles were smuggled into the country.
Berroya said not all of the vehicles, including those of Bichara’s, were illegally registered and these could not have been smuggled.
47 cars not smuggled
Berroya said a check with LTO records showed 47 of these cars had legitimate registration papers.
LTO records, he said, showed that businessman Iñigo Zobel paid P8.7 million in taxes for a 1997 Ferrari, businessman Ricardo Tan Jr. paid P6.7 million in taxes for a 1999 Mercedes Benz, and businessman Joel Montana del Rosario paid P3.4 million for a 2000 BMW.
Zobel’s Ferrari was among the vehicles found at the Auto Sports 24 Corp. on Chino Roces Avenue that the PASG raided last Dec. 20.
Berroya did not say how much taxes Bichara had paid for his Ferrari and three other luxury cars that were seized in the PASG raid.
Berroya said the LTO did not issue the license plates of 13 of the 81 seized cars and did not have records of registration of 22 others.
He said the LTO had asked the PASG to submit documents on the seizure for further verification.
Six of the seized cars came from Cebu, said Berroya, who kept his post as LTO chief despite an order issued by President Macapagal-Arroyo replacing him with former Philippine National Police chief Arturo Lomibao.
“How can these be smuggled when they were legitimately registered and they are owned by prominent personalities?” said Berroya.
“It’s unfair to say majority of these cars were smuggled and the initial findings will even say that only six of these came from Cebu. There is no basis yet to say these were smuggled,” he said.
Turnover
Berroya came to Cebu to witness the turnover at the LTO office in Central Visayas. Alex Leyson, sacked LTO Central Visayas chief, was replaced by Raul Aguilos.
Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza removed Leyson after he was linked to the illegal registration of smuggled cars in Cebu.
Leyson said he had nothing to do with the irregular car registration and welcomed the investigation because it would clear his name.
Investigation
The relief of Leyson, was not a punishment but a move to allow the investigation of irregular vehicle registrations in Cebu, according to Berroya.
Five LTO offices in Cebu province face investigation and the heads of these offices were ordered to answer allegations of irregularities in vehicle registration.
Car dealers in the city had complained that some of the cars that they sold could not be registered because the registration papers that bore the chassis numbers of the new cars were issued to cars that did not come from them.
Berroya said the LTO planned to revise the registration system by having this centralized at the LTO office in Quezon City, instead of allowing registrations in regional offices.
By Jolene R. Bulambot and Jhunnex Napallacan
Inquirer Visayas
and Ephraim Aguilar Inquirer Southern Luzon
CEBU CITY—A CONGRESSman from disaster-stricken Albay province owned four of the 81 luxury cars, including a Ferrari, that were seized in Makati City last month on suspicion these were smuggled.
But the Land Transportation Office (LTO) said the congressman’s cars were legitimately registered.
Albay Rep. Al Francis Bichara owned four of the cars, including a Ferrari, that were seized during a raid on a repair shop in Makati by the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG), according to LTO head Reynaldo Berroya.
Berroya, however, said there was nothing irregular in the registration of the congressman’s vehicles.
Bichara represents the second district of Albay, a province still reeling from devastation wrought by Typhoons Milenyo and Reming and mudslides from Mayon Volcano.
Bichara is known in his district as a collector of vintage cars.
“I collect junk and restore them. That’s what I do,” Bichara said. “I will not allow (the PASG) to destroy my reputation.”
Publicity-hungry
Bichara reacted strongly to reports that he owned the four cars, calling members of the PASG “publicity-hungry vultures.”
The congressman admitted he owned only three of the cars that were at the Makati auto shop during the raid for maintenance.
“It is just like I am trusting my doctor for the maintenance of these cars. But it does not mean that when a criminal is found inside the hospital, the rest of the patients are criminals, too,” Bichara said.
He said some of the cars that he owns were bought secondhand.
Jaguar
Bichara said that he bought a Cherokee for only P300,000 and that he brought home a Jaguar from his stint as Philippine ambassador to Lebanon.
He also said he owned a Volvo, which he bought in the Philippines. He said he didn’t own a Lamborghini.
“Why are they going after the third and fourth owners of these cars? I am not a smuggler. I have documents to prove I have acquired these cars legally and locally,” Bichara said in a mobile phone interview Wednesday noon.
The PASG conducted the raid after receiving reports the vehicles were smuggled into the country.
Berroya said not all of the vehicles, including those of Bichara’s, were illegally registered and these could not have been smuggled.
47 cars not smuggled
Berroya said a check with LTO records showed 47 of these cars had legitimate registration papers.
LTO records, he said, showed that businessman Iñigo Zobel paid P8.7 million in taxes for a 1997 Ferrari, businessman Ricardo Tan Jr. paid P6.7 million in taxes for a 1999 Mercedes Benz, and businessman Joel Montana del Rosario paid P3.4 million for a 2000 BMW.
Zobel’s Ferrari was among the vehicles found at the Auto Sports 24 Corp. on Chino Roces Avenue that the PASG raided last Dec. 20.
Berroya did not say how much taxes Bichara had paid for his Ferrari and three other luxury cars that were seized in the PASG raid.
Berroya said the LTO did not issue the license plates of 13 of the 81 seized cars and did not have records of registration of 22 others.
He said the LTO had asked the PASG to submit documents on the seizure for further verification.
Six of the seized cars came from Cebu, said Berroya, who kept his post as LTO chief despite an order issued by President Macapagal-Arroyo replacing him with former Philippine National Police chief Arturo Lomibao.
“How can these be smuggled when they were legitimately registered and they are owned by prominent personalities?” said Berroya.
“It’s unfair to say majority of these cars were smuggled and the initial findings will even say that only six of these came from Cebu. There is no basis yet to say these were smuggled,” he said.
Turnover
Berroya came to Cebu to witness the turnover at the LTO office in Central Visayas. Alex Leyson, sacked LTO Central Visayas chief, was replaced by Raul Aguilos.
Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza removed Leyson after he was linked to the illegal registration of smuggled cars in Cebu.
Leyson said he had nothing to do with the irregular car registration and welcomed the investigation because it would clear his name.
Investigation
The relief of Leyson, was not a punishment but a move to allow the investigation of irregular vehicle registrations in Cebu, according to Berroya.
Five LTO offices in Cebu province face investigation and the heads of these offices were ordered to answer allegations of irregularities in vehicle registration.
Car dealers in the city had complained that some of the cars that they sold could not be registered because the registration papers that bore the chassis numbers of the new cars were issued to cars that did not come from them.
Berroya said the LTO planned to revise the registration system by having this centralized at the LTO office in Quezon City, instead of allowing registrations in regional offices.
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Gaite’s rich uncle says P.5M came from him
By Ephraim Aguilar
Inquirer Southern Luzon
BAAO, CAMARINES SUR--THE UNCLE OF Deputy Executive Secretary Manuel Gaite yesterday confirmed that the P500,000 his nephew gave to ZTE deal scandal witness Rodolfo Noel “Jun’’ Lozada came from him.
Melquiades Gaite, 71, told the Inquirer the P500,000 was drawn from the P1.5 million he had loaned to his nephew for the renovation of their house in Bulacan.
Melquiades said Gaite borrowed P1.5 million from him in September 2007 when he went home here for the Peñafrancia festival.
“He told me he lacked money for the renovation of their house in Bulacan. He even gave me a 1.5-hectare land that he owned here as a guarantee if I wanted,” Melquiades said.
He added that he gave Gaite P300,000 in cash on Dec. 2; P500,000 on Dec. 24, P300,000 on Jan. 4, and P400,000 on Jan. 25.
Melquiades, this town’s former mayor, defended his nephew and described him as a humble, quiet, compassionate and honest man.
“Manny is a humble, honest, compassionate and silent person. We have protected our family reputation for years,” he added.
“What happened with Manny can be called a frame-up. He was just there to offer (Lozada) help,” Melquiades said.
He added he found Lozada’s twisted accounts unbelievable.
In the Senate inquiry on the ZTE deal, Sen. Manuel Roxas said that the “private source” of the money Gaite gave to Lozada should also come out and explain.
Melquiades stressed he was the source of the money and not the public treasury.
He said he did not know his nephew would give it to Lozada and it was none of his concern.
Melquiades and his son own a poultry farm, tourist inn and a construction firm.
He said none of the amount he lent to Gaite even came from the profit of his businesses.
“The Shell Corporation just paid me P3.9 million to replace the money I spent for construction of the company-owned gasoline station here and it pays me P464,000 per month for their rent of the lot. I just claimed P800,000 worth of my GSIS terminal benefits,” Melquiades said.
Gaite grew up in this town, studied grade school in the Sta. Monica Academy here, and graduated high school from the Holy Rosary seminary in Naga City.
Inquirer Southern Luzon
BAAO, CAMARINES SUR--THE UNCLE OF Deputy Executive Secretary Manuel Gaite yesterday confirmed that the P500,000 his nephew gave to ZTE deal scandal witness Rodolfo Noel “Jun’’ Lozada came from him.
Melquiades Gaite, 71, told the Inquirer the P500,000 was drawn from the P1.5 million he had loaned to his nephew for the renovation of their house in Bulacan.
Melquiades said Gaite borrowed P1.5 million from him in September 2007 when he went home here for the Peñafrancia festival.
“He told me he lacked money for the renovation of their house in Bulacan. He even gave me a 1.5-hectare land that he owned here as a guarantee if I wanted,” Melquiades said.
He added that he gave Gaite P300,000 in cash on Dec. 2; P500,000 on Dec. 24, P300,000 on Jan. 4, and P400,000 on Jan. 25.
Melquiades, this town’s former mayor, defended his nephew and described him as a humble, quiet, compassionate and honest man.
“Manny is a humble, honest, compassionate and silent person. We have protected our family reputation for years,” he added.
“What happened with Manny can be called a frame-up. He was just there to offer (Lozada) help,” Melquiades said.
He added he found Lozada’s twisted accounts unbelievable.
In the Senate inquiry on the ZTE deal, Sen. Manuel Roxas said that the “private source” of the money Gaite gave to Lozada should also come out and explain.
Melquiades stressed he was the source of the money and not the public treasury.
He said he did not know his nephew would give it to Lozada and it was none of his concern.
Melquiades and his son own a poultry farm, tourist inn and a construction firm.
He said none of the amount he lent to Gaite even came from the profit of his businesses.
“The Shell Corporation just paid me P3.9 million to replace the money I spent for construction of the company-owned gasoline station here and it pays me P464,000 per month for their rent of the lot. I just claimed P800,000 worth of my GSIS terminal benefits,” Melquiades said.
Gaite grew up in this town, studied grade school in the Sta. Monica Academy here, and graduated high school from the Holy Rosary seminary in Naga City.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Proud brod recalls Jun a crybaby growing up
By Ephraim Aguilar and Jaymee T. Gamil
Inquirer Southern Luzon
LIGAO CITY--A TRICYCLE DRIVER AND sari-sari store owner in Barangay Tinago here would have preferred to remain obscure, especially because his brother, Rodolfo Noel “Jun” Lozada Jr., became a star witness in the scrapped $329-million National Broadband Network (NBN) deal.
On Monday, when his brother appeared on national television for his second appearance at the Senate hearing on the controversial deal, Samson Lozada, 55, said he was moved to tears every time his younger brother cried at the hearing.
Crying at the drop of...
“As a child Jun would cry when we hid his things, when we played jokes on him, or when he lost in our childhood games,” Samson said.
He said he was proud that his brother was exposing the truth. “We could only pray for his safety,’’ he said.
He said it was up to the public to judge his brother. “But one thing I am sure of, we were not raised to become liars,” Samson said.
He expressed the hope that people would be moved by his brother’s revelations.
He described his younger brother as very kind and helpful.
“He was a simple and silent boy,” said Samson, the oldest son and the fifth among the 13 children of Eusebia, now 84 years old, and the late Rodolfo Lozada Sr.
Chinese school in Legazpi
Samson said Jun grew up with the family in Ligao and studied in grade school at Chong Hua, a Chinese school in Legazpi City.
“He was a simple guy in school. He was never boastful and he did not fight anyone, not even his siblings,” Samson said.
He said Jun’s daily life during his childhood revolved around school and the house. “After classes he went home. He carefully chose his friends,” he said.
Samson said he never knew about his brother’s involvement in the controversial deal until he surfaced at a press conference last week.
“The last time we saw each other was last Christmas when one of our siblings died. He would also come home (here in Ligao City) during family occasions but he never mentioned anything about the issue,” he said.
Samson said the family worried about Jun’s safety and feared he might suffer the fate of their sixth sibling, who was killed by policemen due to mistaken identity.
Samson described the Lozadas as closely knit. “We were one family. We were properly raised by our parents. We enjoyed a simple life,” he said.
Drug store
The Lozadas own a drug store and a grocery near City Hall.
“They are good and religious people who are very private. They never got involved in local politics even if they were well-off,” said a public school teacher at the Ligao West Central School, who claimed to be a distant relative of the Lozadas’ but declined to be named.
To the left of City Hall stands a chain of small convenience stores, one of which is said to be managed and named after one of Lozada’s aunts, Paz Imperial.
On Friday afternoon, when Lozada made his first appearance in the Senate, it was evident that the staff of the store was uneasy when queried by reporters about the whereabouts of Lozada’s immediate family.
Mum’s the word
Asked about the Imperial family, they gestured toward an elderly woman at the cash register, who they reluctantly identified as the store owner’s sister and one of Lozada’s aunts.
The chinky-eyed, gray-haired woman curtly gave her name: Lydia.
But when asked if she really was a relative of Lozada’s or if she was familiar with him, she meekly replied in Bicol: “I don’t know’’ and “I don’t know anything about that.’’ All the while she avoided eye contact.
Asked where her sister Paz Imperial was, she said in Bicol: “She is sick.” A salesgirl confirmed this, saying: “She is asleep upstairs.” Both of them, however, refused to have Paz talk to anyone.
Asked where her other relatives were, the elderly woman would reiterate her previous replies, or just shrug and shake her head nonchalantly.
When prodded about Lozada, she would stare at the television set showing a noontime program, and refuse to acknowledge the questions.
She, nevertheless, accommodated customers alertly.
At the mayor’s office, the younger staff could not offer information about Lozada either.
“We heard that Lozada was from around here, but we’re not really familiar with him or his family,” one of them said.
Inquirer Southern Luzon
LIGAO CITY--A TRICYCLE DRIVER AND sari-sari store owner in Barangay Tinago here would have preferred to remain obscure, especially because his brother, Rodolfo Noel “Jun” Lozada Jr., became a star witness in the scrapped $329-million National Broadband Network (NBN) deal.
On Monday, when his brother appeared on national television for his second appearance at the Senate hearing on the controversial deal, Samson Lozada, 55, said he was moved to tears every time his younger brother cried at the hearing.
Crying at the drop of...
“As a child Jun would cry when we hid his things, when we played jokes on him, or when he lost in our childhood games,” Samson said.
He said he was proud that his brother was exposing the truth. “We could only pray for his safety,’’ he said.
He said it was up to the public to judge his brother. “But one thing I am sure of, we were not raised to become liars,” Samson said.
He expressed the hope that people would be moved by his brother’s revelations.
He described his younger brother as very kind and helpful.
“He was a simple and silent boy,” said Samson, the oldest son and the fifth among the 13 children of Eusebia, now 84 years old, and the late Rodolfo Lozada Sr.
Chinese school in Legazpi
Samson said Jun grew up with the family in Ligao and studied in grade school at Chong Hua, a Chinese school in Legazpi City.
“He was a simple guy in school. He was never boastful and he did not fight anyone, not even his siblings,” Samson said.
He said Jun’s daily life during his childhood revolved around school and the house. “After classes he went home. He carefully chose his friends,” he said.
Samson said he never knew about his brother’s involvement in the controversial deal until he surfaced at a press conference last week.
“The last time we saw each other was last Christmas when one of our siblings died. He would also come home (here in Ligao City) during family occasions but he never mentioned anything about the issue,” he said.
Samson said the family worried about Jun’s safety and feared he might suffer the fate of their sixth sibling, who was killed by policemen due to mistaken identity.
Samson described the Lozadas as closely knit. “We were one family. We were properly raised by our parents. We enjoyed a simple life,” he said.
Drug store
The Lozadas own a drug store and a grocery near City Hall.
“They are good and religious people who are very private. They never got involved in local politics even if they were well-off,” said a public school teacher at the Ligao West Central School, who claimed to be a distant relative of the Lozadas’ but declined to be named.
To the left of City Hall stands a chain of small convenience stores, one of which is said to be managed and named after one of Lozada’s aunts, Paz Imperial.
On Friday afternoon, when Lozada made his first appearance in the Senate, it was evident that the staff of the store was uneasy when queried by reporters about the whereabouts of Lozada’s immediate family.
Mum’s the word
Asked about the Imperial family, they gestured toward an elderly woman at the cash register, who they reluctantly identified as the store owner’s sister and one of Lozada’s aunts.
The chinky-eyed, gray-haired woman curtly gave her name: Lydia.
But when asked if she really was a relative of Lozada’s or if she was familiar with him, she meekly replied in Bicol: “I don’t know’’ and “I don’t know anything about that.’’ All the while she avoided eye contact.
Asked where her sister Paz Imperial was, she said in Bicol: “She is sick.” A salesgirl confirmed this, saying: “She is asleep upstairs.” Both of them, however, refused to have Paz talk to anyone.
Asked where her other relatives were, the elderly woman would reiterate her previous replies, or just shrug and shake her head nonchalantly.
When prodded about Lozada, she would stare at the television set showing a noontime program, and refuse to acknowledge the questions.
She, nevertheless, accommodated customers alertly.
At the mayor’s office, the younger staff could not offer information about Lozada either.
“We heard that Lozada was from around here, but we’re not really familiar with him or his family,” one of them said.
Friday, January 25, 2008
P250M spent for airport with no design
LEGAZPI CITY—ARroyo administration officials had already spent P250 million and will have P600 million more to spend this year, and use up a total of at least P3.5 billion for an airport project here that does not yet have an engineering or architectural design, officials said.
The Southern Luzon International Airport (SLIA) was touted as part of the development of Bicol into one of the super regions listed by President Macapagal-Arroyo.
Gov. Joey Salceda, former chief of staff of Ms Arroyo, said the project construction would start in October.
Salceda said Ms Arroyo had already directed the Department of Budget and Management to allot P600 million in the 2008 national budget for the project.
But the government, he said, had already spent P250 million for what he described as a rapid detailed engineering work, construction of an access road connecting a national road to the airport site, and buying lands that are in the path of the runway.
He said, however, that the airport’s design was still being created and on detailed engineering stage.
According to Macario Pavia, provincial planning and development coordinator, the Department of Transportation and Communications will provide updates on the progress of the engineering and architectural design of the SLIA on Feb. 8.
Survey work, he said, is already complete but will be finalized once the final design is completed by the DOTC.
Despite the absence of a detailed engineering and architectural design, officials said access roads had already been built and pieces of land in the project site are to be bought.
Pavia said a pre-feasibility study was done in 2000 for a new airport in Bicol during the term of then Gov. Al Francis Bichara, now a congressman.
But the site being considered at that time was different.
Pavia said that in 2000, proponents were looking at lands in Camarines Sur, Sorsogon, Legazpi and Polangui in Albay.
Salceda said the P600 million that Ms Arroyo ordered the DBM to allot for the project would not be released without the detailed engineering design and project plan.
The allocation in this year’s budget, he said, would be spent for materials required in civil works.
Salceda, chair of the Bicol Regional Development Council, said Ms Arroyo identified the airport project as one of those that she wanted finished before her term ends in 2010.
The site was identified as a 200-hectare piece of property on a plateau in Barangay Alobo, Daraga.
Salceda defended the project against criticisms that it was not necessary because it was not viable.
No feasibility study was available for the project.
Critics said the planned airport might just lay to waste because the surrounding areas did not have industries that could justify its existence.
But Salceda said Mayon volcano and the tourism income it generated would justify the new airport. Ephraim Aguilar, Inquirer Southern Luzon
The Southern Luzon International Airport (SLIA) was touted as part of the development of Bicol into one of the super regions listed by President Macapagal-Arroyo.
Gov. Joey Salceda, former chief of staff of Ms Arroyo, said the project construction would start in October.
Salceda said Ms Arroyo had already directed the Department of Budget and Management to allot P600 million in the 2008 national budget for the project.
But the government, he said, had already spent P250 million for what he described as a rapid detailed engineering work, construction of an access road connecting a national road to the airport site, and buying lands that are in the path of the runway.
He said, however, that the airport’s design was still being created and on detailed engineering stage.
According to Macario Pavia, provincial planning and development coordinator, the Department of Transportation and Communications will provide updates on the progress of the engineering and architectural design of the SLIA on Feb. 8.
Survey work, he said, is already complete but will be finalized once the final design is completed by the DOTC.
Despite the absence of a detailed engineering and architectural design, officials said access roads had already been built and pieces of land in the project site are to be bought.
Pavia said a pre-feasibility study was done in 2000 for a new airport in Bicol during the term of then Gov. Al Francis Bichara, now a congressman.
But the site being considered at that time was different.
Pavia said that in 2000, proponents were looking at lands in Camarines Sur, Sorsogon, Legazpi and Polangui in Albay.
Salceda said the P600 million that Ms Arroyo ordered the DBM to allot for the project would not be released without the detailed engineering design and project plan.
The allocation in this year’s budget, he said, would be spent for materials required in civil works.
Salceda, chair of the Bicol Regional Development Council, said Ms Arroyo identified the airport project as one of those that she wanted finished before her term ends in 2010.
The site was identified as a 200-hectare piece of property on a plateau in Barangay Alobo, Daraga.
Salceda defended the project against criticisms that it was not necessary because it was not viable.
No feasibility study was available for the project.
Critics said the planned airport might just lay to waste because the surrounding areas did not have industries that could justify its existence.
But Salceda said Mayon volcano and the tourism income it generated would justify the new airport. Ephraim Aguilar, Inquirer Southern Luzon
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