Blue ribbon to probe alleged overpriced ICC project –Guingona

The Senate blue ribbon committee will formally investigate the alleged overpriced construction of the Iloilo Convention Center (ICC) and other issues related to it, its chairman, Senator Teofisto Guingona III, said Monday.

In a press statement, Guingona said the committee will initiate the probe on the controversies that are also partly covered by Senate Resolution No. 906 filed by Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, although no specific date has been set yet.

“The Blue Ribbon Committee shall commence the investigation as soon as initial preparations have been completed,” he said.

Senate President Franklin Drilon, who is being linked to the alleged anomaly, earlier said he is open to a Senate investigation. He has expressed confidence that the Department of Public Works and Highway (DPWH) can defend the regularity of the project funded in part by his pork barrel allocations.

Drilon said he would never use his position as Senate President “to block or prevent the holding of a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee inquiry into the matter.”

“I have nothing to hide. Any inquiry or investigation will validate the facts and figures of this project, and will just show how absurd these vile allegations really are,” he said in a press statement.

But he stressed that it was also proper that those who were responsible for spreading lies regarding the ICC “must be made liable for their actions if their allegations were proven wrong and politically-motivated.”

Overpriced

Drilon had earlier described as ridiculous the claim that ICC was overpriced by P488 million, saying it is a four-storey project with a total area of about 11,900 square meters.

The P700-million ICC project sourced its project from Drilon's Disbursement Acceleration Program, P100 million, and PDAF, P200 million. Other sources of fund were P200 from the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority and another P200 million from the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Drilon said the DPWH, which supervised the ICC, could easily disprove the malicious allegations made against the implementation of the project.

“I have no involvement in any way in the bidding process for the project. I was nowhere near that process to intervene, let alone nominate anyone to be the contractor of the project,” he said.

“The project was bid out under the supervision of Public Works Sec. Rogelio Singson, who is widely known for his integrity,” he added.

Above-board

Drilon said Singson had earlier disputed the allegations of overpricing, saying that the project was above-board and strictly followed bidding process.

He also said Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez had earlier expressed full trust and confidence in the competence and sincerity of all those involved in the ICC Project.

"The ICC is a major undertaking by various agencies particularly the DPWH, DOT and TIEZA. To say that Secretary Singson, Secretary Jimenez and I all connived to ruin the integrity of the ICC project is absurd, baseless and malicious," said Drilon.

The Senate President said the ICC’s construction was part of a major campaign to improve Iloilo's capacity to host and accommodate international events and conferences, particularly the 2015 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) ministerial meetings.

Senator Jinggoy Estrada, detained in connection with the alleged pork barrel scam, earlier challenged Guingona to probe the ICC. —Amita Legaspi/KBK, GMA News