Mayor denies Hanjin offered him P400M bribe
A day after disclosing on national TV that South Korean firm Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Co. Ltd had tried to bribe him with P400-million worth of supply contracts in exchange for approving the contruction of a shipyard in his town in Misamis Oriental, Tagoloan Mayor Paulino Emano backtracked and said it was all just a misunderstanding on his part.
Q-TV's News on Q on Tuesday night reported that Emano wrote an affidavit dated May 2, 2008, saying that Hanjin had never attempted to bribe him.
The report said Emano realized later on that the P400 million offer refers to what his town stands to gain from the diversion of some parts of the Tagoloan River in connection with the shipyard construction.
"(Hanjin) may have been prompted to ask if I'm not interested in this sand and gravel project considering that it would amount to P400 million; That, later I came to realize his statement as referring to the enormous financial benefit that may redound to the municipality," Emano's affidavit read.
In an interview that was shown on national TV last May 1, Emano said he even reported Hanjin's alleged bribe offer to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, but the President allegedly did not act on it.
Emano's turnaround comes after Malacañang turned the table on him and accused him and Villanueva Mayor Juliet Uy of extorting money from Hanjin.
Both Emano and Uy have denied the charges.
"There was neither bribery on the part of Hanjin nor an extortion on my part and that of Mayor (Juliet) Uy," Emano's affidavit said.
Uy, for her part, challenged the people behind the accusation to bring the matter to the courts if they have evidence against her.
Hanjin also denied allegations of bribery and asserted that it has always operated within the bounds of law wherever it puts up business.
The local government of Tagoloan had stopped the construction of the shipyard project, citing Hanjin's incomplete permit. - GMANews.TV
Q-TV's News on Q on Tuesday night reported that Emano wrote an affidavit dated May 2, 2008, saying that Hanjin had never attempted to bribe him.
The report said Emano realized later on that the P400 million offer refers to what his town stands to gain from the diversion of some parts of the Tagoloan River in connection with the shipyard construction.
"(Hanjin) may have been prompted to ask if I'm not interested in this sand and gravel project considering that it would amount to P400 million; That, later I came to realize his statement as referring to the enormous financial benefit that may redound to the municipality," Emano's affidavit read.
In an interview that was shown on national TV last May 1, Emano said he even reported Hanjin's alleged bribe offer to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, but the President allegedly did not act on it.
Emano's turnaround comes after Malacañang turned the table on him and accused him and Villanueva Mayor Juliet Uy of extorting money from Hanjin.
Both Emano and Uy have denied the charges.
"There was neither bribery on the part of Hanjin nor an extortion on my part and that of Mayor (Juliet) Uy," Emano's affidavit said.
Uy, for her part, challenged the people behind the accusation to bring the matter to the courts if they have evidence against her.
Hanjin also denied allegations of bribery and asserted that it has always operated within the bounds of law wherever it puts up business.
The local government of Tagoloan had stopped the construction of the shipyard project, citing Hanjin's incomplete permit. - GMANews.TV
Labels: hanjin, misamis oriental
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