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ANGELES CITY: Pampanga first district Rep. Carmelo
Lazatin is seeking a review of what he called “questionable
contracts” in the Clark Freeport Zone.
In an interview with media men
over the weekend, Lazatin said he would initiate a congressional
inquiry into the alleged questionable contracts that the Clark
Development Corporation (CDC) has entered into under the
administration of “car-dealer” Levy Laus.
Lazatin has described the
performance of Laus in the state-run agency as “very poor,”
pointing out that Filipino investors “are not welcome in the Clark
Freeport Zone.”
The apparent “reversed
racism” allegedly favored Korean investors at the free port zone,
and at the expense of Filipino entrepreneurs, Lazatin said.
“While we welcome foreign
investments, we should not neglect or deprive local investors from
participating in the business enterprises in Clark,” Lazatin said.
He said the “poor
performance” of Laus has not “advanced any of the spirit and
purpose of Republic Act 7227, the bases conversion and development
law, to spur the development of the former US bases and the
contiguous communities.”
Lazatin was among those who
crafted R.A. 7227.
He said he will call for a
congressional inquiry into the alleged “dubious contracts” that
Laus and his “select group” has entered into with Koreans such
as the one in the area of the former True North. Laus has reportedly
allowed the entry of a Korean investor identified as JB Cresta,
which reportedly changed its company name to Focus Company Limited,
after it met with some legal obstacles.
Lazatin disclosed that he has
received reports that CDC is reportedly leasing some 346.23 hectares
to Focus Co, Ltd. for only P1.40 per square meter when it could have
increased the lease amount at par with other investors’ leases
that are higher.
“CDC could have increased the
lease contract but reportedly did not do so. There are apparent
favors being given there,” Lazatin said.
Lazatin said the congressional
inquiry will also touch on the dubious operations of some Clark
locators who are allegedly into online gambling when under their
contract they should operate as IT firms.
Laus, for his part, has requested
the lawmaker to identify the “questionable contracts” he
mentioned while denying reports the president had berated him during
a recent cabinet meeting.
“Very good was what the
president told me about my performance,” Laus told The Manila
Times.
Laus had been drawing flak from
various sectors for his alleged penchant for going against the plans
of President Gloria Arroyo such as the grand plan to develop a
logistics hub and services in the area of the Clark civil aviation
complex.
In what was described as defiance
to President Arroyo’s plans, Laus allegedly went to South Korea
and talked to Samsung, a manufacturing firm with emphasis on
electronic assembly, to locate at civil aviation complex.
Laus has allegedly even
threatened to block the entry of all logistics projects in Clark.
“Probably these projects have
questionable contracts which we really have to look into,” said
Lazatin.
--Joey Aguilar
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