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By Angelo S. Samonte, Reporter
MALACAÑANG appealed to opposition senators to
exercise caution in pursuing an inquiry on Hanjin Heavy Industries
and Construction Corp.’s project in Misamis Oriental because its
withdrawal will impact heavily on the country’s ability to attract
foreign investment.
“There could be a negative effect in the
international community. Foreign investors who may want to invest
here may be wary that they could suffer the same fate of Hanjin
being the target of Senate investigation,” Chief Presidential
Legal Counsel Sergio Apostol said.
“Let’s avoid this situation. We have to
protect foreign and local business interests.”
Despite the planned inquiry, Apostol assured
foreign businesses that the national government would protect them,
and they could come in and invest.
Apostol said that instead of launching an
investigation, the Senate should wait for the report of the
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), instructed by
President Arroyo to conduct a thorough investigation on the alleged
extortion by local officials.
“We request that they await the findings of
the DILG which is in a better position to investigate local
government officials. What’s the power of the Senate? They could
only invite resource persons, draft legislation or recommend
prosecution by virtue of an oversight function, but the DILG has
better facilities to investigate,” he said.
“We hoped that the opposition Senate would
cease from using this issue for political grandstanding. The
subjects were identified already—the mayor who claimed to be
bribed and Hanjin, [that] laimed extortion by this [local
government] is pinpointed.”
On Friday, Sen. Panfilo Lacson called for an
investigation into the alleged P400-million bribe offer purportedly
made by Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Corp. to Tagaloan,
Misamis Oriental Mayor Paulino Emano.
Hanjin was planning to build a $2-billion
shipyard in Tagaloan. Hanjin’s Mindanao shipyard is being built on
a 442-hectare lot inside the Phividec Industrial Estate on
Mindanao’s northern tip and was expected to be completed in 2017.
The new facility will have a capacity of 830,000
tons per year when completed, generating 45,000 new jobs.
A row over an environmental permit, however,
forced the company to stop the construction.
Two town mayors of Misamis Oriental said they
had ordered Hanjin to secure environmental clearances before it
could clear some 400 hectares of coconut, corn and vegetable fields,
as well as some houses.
Emano has claimed he was offered P400 million by
Hanjin officials to ignore the company’s lack of environmental
clearance, and allow them instead to continue with the project.
On the other hand, Hanjin has filed complaints
with the provincial governor, saying local officials had allegedly
intimidated company officials and staff.
The dispute caught the ire of President Arroyo,
prompting her to order the Department of the Interior and Local
Government to investigate the charges and counter-charges between
Hanjin and the local officials.
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