By Florante S. Solmerin
THE Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) expressed interest to tap
the services of former presidential chief-of-staff Mike Defensor to help them troubleshoot the government’s 23-year-old recovery problem of the 18.5-hectare Payanig property.
In a press briefing Tuesday afternoon at the PCGG office in Mandaluyong City, co-commissioner for legal affairs Ricardo Abcede said they have decided to seek President’s Arroyo’s advise about their intention to get her former chief-of-staff to help PCGG resolved the Payanig case.
He said Defensor can help two things in resolving the Payanig case – dispose the property or manage it by increasing the cost of lease.
According to asset and management chief
Commissioner Tereso Javier, the Payanig property is worth P18 billion based on a 2004 market appraisal.
Abcede’s appearance before the press briefing also cleared the air about speculations that he has gone missing for one month due to some personal dilemmas.
Abcede, however, declined to talk about it.
Citing the caliber of Defensor being a former congressman and “trouble shooter” of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport terminal 3 and
the Philippine national Railing, Abcede said the guy is well fitted for the job as PCGG consultant.
Defensor also served as secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council.
“Defensor was the first person I thought of at first glance because he is multi-faceted,” said the former PCGG asset and management chief.
“Why not him, I mean being a former Congressman, a former chief of Presidential Management Staff and a private professional he would be able to assist us with his inputs and connections,” he added.
PCGG’s idea of hiring Defensor suddenly popped up
after the House oversight committee has decided to summon PCGG officials to explain the recent developments made by the food and beverage giant San Miguel Corp. (SMC).
Congressmen are eager for the PCGG to make a public accounting of SMC investments since the
country’s 18 million coconut farmers own 27 percent of the giant food and beverage conglomerate.
In 1986, threatened with several graft charges and
confiscation of his assets after Ferdinand Marcos was ousted, Jose Y. Campos signed a compromise deal with the PCGG wherein he agreed to testify
against the Marcoses and surrendered to the government several corporations and properties allegedly entrusted to him by Marcos.
Among the surrendered assets was the disputed lot which is bordered on three sides by Ortigas, Dońa Julia Vargas and Meralco Avenues.
The land used to be the location of the theme park “Payanig sa Pasig” but is now host to several businesses including Metrowalk, an upscale dining-shopping-recreation center.
Leading the claimants for the property is the landed Filipino-Spanish Ortigas family that claims that they had only been forced by Marcos to sell him the property at a disadvantageous price in the 1960s.
The lot is also being claimed by businessman Ricardo Silverio and OCLP on the ground that they were merely coerced by President Marcos into selling the property for a bargain price.
PCGG records show that in all court documents that Campos signed and sworn before, during and after the time he surrendered the assets and also PCGG documents in all compromise deals entered into between the agency and Campos, he testified that all these assets were owned by the Marcoses. |
