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THE conflict between Hanjin, a Korean based company engaged in
shipbuilding, and a town mayor in Mindanao is categorized as a
criminal case, it should be the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the
Office of the Ombudsman handling the investigation and not the
Senate, Speaker Prospero Nograles said on Tuesday.
South Korea’s Hanjin Heavy Industries Inc.,
which is projected to build a $2-billion shipyard in Mindanao,
allegedly bribed local officials to facilitate the project.
The company has denied this and countered that
it was the local officials who tried to extort money from the
company—a claim that the local officials, in turn, also contested.
“From what I read, there are allegations of
bribery. Now I have consulted a lot of people and with my
colleagues. And I said, if it’s a question of bribery, alleged
bribery, let the Department of Justice and the Ombudsman handle
that,” Nograles told House reporters.
He admitted that the move of the Senate to
investigate the matter could send a wrong signal to foreign
investors and lead them to have second thoughts about investing in
the country.
“I don’t think Congress should even try to
get into it because it’s a criminal case. Let the Ombudsman and
the DOJ do their part,” he stressed.
He reiterated his position that it would be
proper for the DOJ, the fiscals, and the complainants to file a
case. Moreover, the Ombudsman should “take cognizance of it [the
Hanjin controversy]” and the executive department should see what
could be done about it.
“We have enough laws on bribery and graft and
corruption to implement. I don’t think we can produce any
additional law that will result from an investigation of this
thing,” Nograles pointed out.
He said that he was speaking for the House of
Representatives. “[The Senate has] their own set of priorities and
I don’t want to meddle with them out of parliamentary courtesy. We
have to balance everything. We want to investigate but sometimes
there are economic and international repercussions so kailangang
balansehin natin [we have to balance things],” Nograles stressed.
Mindanao congressmen also said Monday that a
highly publicized inquiry by Congress into the alleged
bribery/extortion issue might drive away foreign investors.
-- Sammy Martin
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