Palace seeks to shield Sokor firm from probe

MALACAÑANG yesterday appealed to the Senate not to inject politics on the alleged P400 million offer of Hanjin Heavy Industries of South Korea to mayors of Tagoloan and Villanueva towns in Misamis Oriental in exchange for environmental and business permits for its $2.3 billion shipyard project.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said the management of Hanjin has informed the government, through Trade Secretary Peter Favila, that "they are inclined to stay despite these initial problems with the local government."

Bunye said the political opposition should understand that Hanjin’s investment amounts to billions of dollars and a pull-out of its investments would be disastrous.

He said it is "reasonable to expect" that other potential big-ticket investors are watching how the Arroyo government would deal with the Hanjin problem.

Bunye appealed to the Senate to let the Department of Interior and Local Government and Misamis Oriental Gov. Oscar Moreno conduct the investigation.

He said Moreno’s presence should add more credibility to the investigation because he is both a former lawmaker and an investment banker and understands the importance of Hanjin’s investments.

Hanjin has alleged that some Misamis Oriental mayors tried to extort money from it but Tagoloan Mayor Paulino Emano last week told President Arroyo that the shipping firm offered him P400 million to allow the shipyard project to push through despite the lack of an environmental permit.

On Sunday, some opposition lawmakers called on the Senate environment committee to similarly conduct an investigation on the Hanjin case.

The environment committee, chaired by Sen. Pia Cayetano, is also investigating the construction by Hanjin of two high-rise condominiums in the rainforest of Subic Bay Freeport. Hanjin said the condominiums are for the use of their staff in their $1.6 billion shipyard in Subic.

‘SAME BANANA’

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz said the Hanjin scandal has all the ingredients of the equally controversial national broadband network project.

"There is a distinct possibility that the two are the same. To presume otherwise is possible but quite difficult. Same characters, same script, same banana," said the former president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines.

Cruz said it is not surprising that efforts were made to minimize the "noise" on the new controversy hounding the administration.

"It is a general rule that transparency in government is an unknown and unwelcome imperative whenever it indulges in lying, cheating and stealing," the prelate said.

MISBEHAVIOR

Cayetano said Malacañang should not be afraid to lose Hanjin Corp. as an investor, especially if they have been violating environmental laws.

"Dalawang okasyon na ito – sa Subic at Misamis Oriental. So kung ako naman ang Presidente, huwag naman tayong takot na takot na maalisan ng investor," Cayetano said.

She added: "We will be fair, but if they do not want to follow our laws, they should leave,"

Cayetano said the President, instead of tolerating misbehavior by foreign companies, should be firm in enforcing the laws.

AFRAID OF PROBE

Sen. Panfilo Lacson said Mala-cañang’s slip may be showing, raising

the spectacle of Hanjin pulling out its investments.

Lacson said Hanjin should simply comply with the requirements in its Philippine projects, instead of pulling out.

"A Senate investigation on corruption scares Malacañang. Period," he said.

Lacson said President Arroyo’s delayed action when told by Emano about the supposed bribe smacked of Malacañang benefiting from the "arrangement."

On the other hand, he noted that Korean firms like Hanjin normally follow procedures.

"It is a shame because our own government encourages them to violate our own laws, and it gives special treatment to rich investors," he said. – Regina Bengco, Gerard Naval and Dennis Gadil