Solons seek House inquiry into SBMA golf course
Several administration and opposition lawmakers of the House of Representatives on Wednesday called for an immediate congressional inquiry into the ongoing conflict between officials of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and the Taiwanese operators of the Subic Bay Golf and Country Club, the United International Group Development Corporation (UIGDC), during a press conference at the Rembrandt Hotel in Quezon City.
Representatives Andres Salvacion Jr. (Leyte), Glenn Chung (Biliran), Emil Ong (Northern Samar), Antonio Kho (Masbate), Pablo Garcia (Cebu), Rodolfo Valencia (Oriental Mindoro), Felix Alfelor (Camarines Sur), Rufus Rodriguez, Edwin Uy, Liwayway Chato and Jobet Go all agreed that the controversy is having a negative effect on foreign investors in the country.
The fiasco began when SBMA officials led by Armando Arreza, SBMA administrator and CEO, suddenly passed a resolution in the morning of June 8 terminating the 50 year lease contract of UIGDC because of its alleged failure to settle its P16 million rental arrears.
The resolution was enforced the same day, a Friday preceding three holidays.
According to UIGDC vice president Jack Hu, the takeover was accomplished through unwarranted use of force consisting of about 50 members of the SBMA SWAT team and the arbitrary confiscation of all company properties, including their personal belongings without a proper inventory.
This was done despite a court status quo order dated December 27, 2006 and a writ of preliminary injunction dated May 4, 2007.
UIGDC filed several cases against the involved officials in the regional trial courts and the Office of the Ombudsman but no actions had yet been taken up to this day.
On July 8, Rep. Valencia warned the government that the forcible takeover could serve as a good reason for foreign investors to avoid the Philippines as an investment site.
On August 8, Rep. Ong delivered a privileged speech, denouncing the illegal action of SBMA and, since then, clamors for a congressional inquiry had snowballed.
Rep. Chung said that the UIGDC was denied due process and the actions done by officials of the SBMA are inimical to the country's interest.
"I am very disappointed with the actions of the SBMA officials concerned and we must find out why they did it and what is really behind the hasty and questionable takeover," Chung said.
For his part, Rep. Salvacion lambasted SBMA for disregarding court orders, saying nothing in the SBMA charter puts it beyond court jurisprudence.
"The SBMA charter states that the SBMA Freeport zone, or any freeport zone in the country for that matter, is a separate customs territory but not an independent state as what some SBMA officials seem to believe," Salvacion, a former customs official before entering politics, said.
The lawmakers agreed that an inquiry in-aid-of- legislation should be undertaken immediately to look into the mess to protect the country's interest.
They said that what will come out of the inquiry will be used to enact laws to protect investors from abusive government officials.
But first, they said that the controversy must be resolved without further delay.
"If the case is not resolved soon, no investor will come into the Philippines," Salvacion said. (PNA)
Representatives Andres Salvacion Jr. (Leyte), Glenn Chung (Biliran), Emil Ong (Northern Samar), Antonio Kho (Masbate), Pablo Garcia (Cebu), Rodolfo Valencia (Oriental Mindoro), Felix Alfelor (Camarines Sur), Rufus Rodriguez, Edwin Uy, Liwayway Chato and Jobet Go all agreed that the controversy is having a negative effect on foreign investors in the country.
The fiasco began when SBMA officials led by Armando Arreza, SBMA administrator and CEO, suddenly passed a resolution in the morning of June 8 terminating the 50 year lease contract of UIGDC because of its alleged failure to settle its P16 million rental arrears.
The resolution was enforced the same day, a Friday preceding three holidays.
According to UIGDC vice president Jack Hu, the takeover was accomplished through unwarranted use of force consisting of about 50 members of the SBMA SWAT team and the arbitrary confiscation of all company properties, including their personal belongings without a proper inventory.
This was done despite a court status quo order dated December 27, 2006 and a writ of preliminary injunction dated May 4, 2007.
UIGDC filed several cases against the involved officials in the regional trial courts and the Office of the Ombudsman but no actions had yet been taken up to this day.
On July 8, Rep. Valencia warned the government that the forcible takeover could serve as a good reason for foreign investors to avoid the Philippines as an investment site.
On August 8, Rep. Ong delivered a privileged speech, denouncing the illegal action of SBMA and, since then, clamors for a congressional inquiry had snowballed.
Rep. Chung said that the UIGDC was denied due process and the actions done by officials of the SBMA are inimical to the country's interest.
"I am very disappointed with the actions of the SBMA officials concerned and we must find out why they did it and what is really behind the hasty and questionable takeover," Chung said.
For his part, Rep. Salvacion lambasted SBMA for disregarding court orders, saying nothing in the SBMA charter puts it beyond court jurisprudence.
"The SBMA charter states that the SBMA Freeport zone, or any freeport zone in the country for that matter, is a separate customs territory but not an independent state as what some SBMA officials seem to believe," Salvacion, a former customs official before entering politics, said.
The lawmakers agreed that an inquiry in-aid-of- legislation should be undertaken immediately to look into the mess to protect the country's interest.
They said that what will come out of the inquiry will be used to enact laws to protect investors from abusive government officials.
But first, they said that the controversy must be resolved without further delay.
"If the case is not resolved soon, no investor will come into the Philippines," Salvacion said. (PNA)
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