Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday questioned the alleged “midnight sale” of natural resources and several public services to a “mystery shopper” before 2022.
In a virtual media forum, Hontiveros again questioned Udenna Corporation’s takeover of the Malampaya project.
She asked the Department of Energy (DOE) why did the agency allow Udenna to buy a majority of Malampaya’s shares.
The senator also sought an answer on the Philippine National Oil Company’s non-assertion of its “right of first refusal.”
“[Energy Secretary Alfonso] Cusi, ito lang naman po: Ibinebenta na ba natin ang Pilipinas sa Tsina? Por kilo na ba ang bentahan ng ating mga strategic assets? Mula sa rollout ng Dito telecoms, tapos ang [Commission on Elections] deal, at ngayon naman, dito mismo, sa Malampaya at sa Recto Bank kung saan nabigyan din ng DOE ang Udenna ng service contracts,” she said.
(Secretary Cusi, are we selling the Philippines to China? Are we selling the strategic assets per kilo– from the rollout of Dito telecoms, the COMELEC deal, and now the Malampaya and Recto Bank where DOE gave the service contracts to Udenna.)
“Ang gusto natin, syempre, masang Pilipino ang makikinabang sa kita ng mga resources na iyan. Pero may midnight sale yata ng likas yaman at iba pang serbisyo bago mag 2022, na hindi natin alam. Sino kaya si mystery shopper?” she asked.
(We want the Filipinos to benefit from those resources but it seems that there is a midnight sale of natural resources and other services before 2022. Who is the mystery shopper?)
Hontiveros then pressed her colleagues to investigate Udenna’s buyout of shares in the Malampaya project.
“Naninindigan ako: Huwag natin payagan ang sinuman na ibenta ang Pilipinas at ang yaman nito, sa China man o sa iba pang dayuhan,” she said.
(I continue to stand by my position. Let us not allow anyone to sell the Philippines and its resources to China or other foreign countries.)
Answering queries of the media, Hontiveros said there seems to be a “pattern of the entry of the Udenna group” through the DITO telecommunications, the logistics contracts with the Comelec, and in Malampaya.
“[There’s] entry into our critical industries, or critical sectors of our economy, with the shadow of a certain foreign country in the background, lalo na ito ‘yung bansa na talagang tinatapatan tayo sa sarili nating teritoryo sa (specifically the country that asserts authority over our territories in the) West Philippine Sea,” she said.
“Parang pinapayagan ang Udenna na mag-may-ari nalang ng lahat na tina-target nilang pagmay-ariin. At tama, dahil ba ito sa special friendship ni Mr. Dennis Uy kay Presidente?” she asked.
(It’s like we allow Udenna to own everything that they wanted to takeover. Is this because of Mr. Dennis Uy’s special friendship with the President?)
GMA News Online has reached out to Cusi but he has yet to respond as of posting time.
Meanwhile, Udenna, through its media relations officer, did not give a specific statement on Hontiveros’ remarks, but provided a copy of the company’s previous explanations on Malampaya’s takeover as well as Dito’s operations in the country.
“Both the Chevron and Shell transactions follow highly competitive bidding processes with rigorous due diligence conducted by both global oil and gas companies, the international lenders involved and the other parties in the SC38 consortium,” Udenna said in its presentation sent to GMA News Online.
“Under the terms of the SC38 agreement, the Government owns the asset and will continue to receive 60% of the proceeds from Malampaya without investing any funds or taking on any of the risks. The SC38 consortium joint venture partners are the service contractor and divide the remaining 40% of the proceeds in proportion to their shareholding. As PNOC-EC holds 10% of the SC38 consortium, the Government’s total combined share of the proceeds from Malampaya is 64%,” it added.
On Dito Telecom, the Udenna Corporation pointed to the bidding process in which they participated and the Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) granted by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) in July 2019.
“[It is] one of the country’s most transparent bidding processes. As we have often said, many said it was impossible,” the firm said.
In November, Hontiveros filed a resolution seeking an investigation into the Udenna Corporation’s alleged authority to “control” the country’s strategic fossil energy assets in the West Philippine Sea.
The proposed Senate Resolution 950 questions the “propriety” of Udenna’s control in both the Malampaya project and its gas pipeline, as well as the fossil energy resources in Recto Bank, considering its impact on the nation’s security and economic interest.
“By allowing Udenna to control both the Malampaya Project and its gas pipeline, as well as the fossil energy resources in the Recto Bank, the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC) not only deprived the Philippine government of a substantial source of revenue, but also allowed private – and possibly foreign – interests an undue advantage over the nation through the possession of its vital strategic assets,” Hontiveros said earlier. — DVM, GMA News
Hontiveros questions alleged midnight sale of strategic assets to mystery shopper
Source: Pinoy Hub News
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