THIRTY-FIVE officials of the former Philippine Tourism Authority—including former Tourism secretaries Wanda Teo and Ramon Jimenez and a slew of current Cabinet officials—have been sued before the Office of the Ombudsman for the supposedly anomalous water and sewerage system agreement for Boracay Island.
The officials include former PTA general manager Mark Lapid and executives appointed under the administrations of President Rodrigo Duterte and former President Benigno Aquino III.
In a complaint they filed before the Ombudsman on May 8, Boracay residents Rod G. Padilla and Roberto V. Gelito claimed that the respondents violated Sections 3(e) and (g) of the Anti Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
The complainants said Lapid, as PTA chief, entered into a joint venture agreement with the Manila Water Co. Inc. for the upgrade, operation and maintenance of the Boracay Waterworks and Sewerage System in 2009.
The PTA then executed a concession agreement with Boracay Island Water Co. for water and sewerage services for the entire island, but Padilla and Gelito said the agency “demonstrated clear bias” and gave undue advantage to MWCI throughout the deal.
Other officials charged were former Public Works secretary Rogelio Singson, former Environment secretary Ramon Paje, Carlos Honorio Estepa, Vivian Otaza, and Lucas Nunag.
The complainants also included current Cabinet officials Eduardo Año, Roy Cimatu, Mark Villar, Cesar Montano, Epimaco Densing III, Marco Bautista, Pocholo Paragas, Karen Jimeno, Anthony Edsel Conrad Tupaz, Maximilian Anthony Fernandez, Datu Abul Khayr Alonto, Elizaldy Co, Roberto Teo, Roy Martin, Maria Vida Stoifl, and Catherine Turvill in the complaint.
In other developments:
* The P80-million budget for the Buhay Carinderia project was approved by the Tourism Promotions Board, and that the sponsorship for programs had long been a practice by the Tourism department, Cesar Montano, the TPB’s chief operating officer, said Friday.
“Regarding bidding, itong Buhay Carinderia ay approved by the board, at ang sole owner nito ay si Linda Legaspi, so ang hinihingi nila ay financial sponsorship,” Montanos told GMA News.
“Itong financial sponsorship ay ginagawa matagal na, more than 10 years ng [Department of Tourism] at TPB. Long before I assumed office, nandidiyan na ‘yan, it’s been a practice,” he added.
* Senator Cynthia Villar said Friday all developments in Costa Vista, a condominium project in Boracay where her family has a business interest, had been stopped.
“I would like to reiterate and stress that all developments in our Boracay investment have long stopped,” said Villar, whose husband, former Senate president Manny Villar, heads Vista Land & Lifescapes Inc.
* At least 33 pipelines that illegally discharge water beneath the White Beach on Boracay were discovered by the government, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu said Friday.