FORMER President Fidel Ramos will be spared from attending a congressional inquiry into allegedly disadvantageous lease contract involving the lease of a P7.5-billion five hectare government property for a measly P1,000 a year, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said on Thursday.
Alvarez said there was no need for the House committee on good government and public accountability to invite Ramos as one of the resource persons on the congressional probe into the alleged disadvantageous lease contract involving prime government real estate stretching over five-hectares on Roxas Boulevard.
The deal happened during the Ramos administration.
The committee investigation on the issue was in response to House Resolution1188 filed by Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone asking the panel to conduct a review of the reported non-performance by private parties Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. and Manila Exposition Complex Inc. of their obligations under the contract.
The move to summon Ramos was raised by Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay Jr.
Earlier, the House good government and public accountability committee, chaired by Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel, summoned former President Benigno Aquino III to testify on the Dengvaxia vaccine controversy.
At the same time, Alvarez denied having made any comment on the issue raised by Evardone to the good government panel, saying he kept an impartial stance on the issue.
Alvarez said he never stated that the Philexport deal was “worse than the Tadeco” (Tagum Agricultural Development Co. Inc.) lease of the more than 5,300 hectares of Bureau of Corrections land within the Davao penal colony.
Under the Contract of Lease signed January 23, 1996, the Department of Trade and Industry rented the 50,642 square-meter lot to PhilExport for only P1,000 per year for a period of 50 years renewable by another 25 years.
In the same deal, PhilExport was allowed to sub-lease the property to MECI based on a fixed rate or on the latter’s earnings, whichever is higher, Evardone said in his resolution.
The PhilExport contract required MECI to establish the World Trade Center complex which shall include world-class exhibition halls with office spaces for government agencies in the building.
But Evardone said the government appears to have been shortchanged because the leased property has not been developed in accordance with the intent of the contract and R.A.7844 otherwise known as the Export Development Act of 1994.
“The rental of P1,000.00 per annum for a period of fifty (50) years is grossly disadvantageous to the Government resulting in substantial loss in possible revenue considering the prime location of the property,” said Evardone.