Floirendo hurt, ready to face Alvarez’s complaint

Davao del Norte Second District Rep. Antonio “Tonyboy” Floirendo Jr. said he is ready to face the complaint filed against him by House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, though he admitted he was hurt by the allegations.

“I welcome any complaint to be filed against me and I am ready to face them with a clear conscience,” Floirendo said in a statement on Wednesday.

Alvarez, who represents Davao del Norte’s First District, filed a graft complaint against Floirendo before the Office of the Ombudsman for his alleged “financial and pecuniary interest” over his links to the Tagum Agricultural Development Company, Inc. (TADECO)—one of a largest banana plantations in the world—and the Anflo Management and Investment Corporation (ANFLOCOR).

Alvarez also filed a House resolution calling for an inquiry on the joint venture between TADECO and the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).

Floirendo, son of the late banana magnate Antonio Sr., sits in the board of directors of the family-owned companies.

“Admittedly I am hurt with the action of Speaker Alvarez against me. It not only affects me, but also my family, as well as the people of Davao del Norte. But that’s politics,” he said.

“What is important is that I know deep down my conscience that I have not done anything wrong nor have I committed any criminal act,” he added.

Alvarez and Floirendo are allies of President Rodrigo Duterte. Floirendo had been named as the biggest contributor to the presidential campaign kitty of the former Davao City mayor.

Despite the allegations, Floirendo said: “I still offer a hand of friendship to Speaker Alvarez amidst all that happened for the benefit of the people of Davao del Norte.”

He also vowed “to show my full support to the Duterte administration that is doing amazingly well for the past nine months.”

TADECO

Meanwhile in a separate statement, TADECO tagged as “entirely false” Alvarez’s allegation that it’s joint venture agreement (JVA) with BuCor was grossly disadvantageous to the government.

“The agreement between TADECO and BuCor is not a lease agreement, but a joint venture that is primarily aimed at the rehabilitation of the inmates in Davao Penal Colony (DAPECOL). This rehabilitation program has been found to be very successful by BuCor to the extent that the latter has even requested TADECO to replicate the JVA program to its penal colony in Iwahig, Palawan,” it said.

It noted that the agreement “has been reviewed and found to be advantageous to the government numerous times,” both by the executive and legislative branches.

“TADECO continues to perform its obligations and responsibilities under the JVA confident in its contributions to the government and socio-economic development. Thus, TADECO is befuddled as to the real reasons why Speaker Alvarez has initiated this inquiry,” it added.

The company also said “there is no truth” to Alvarez’s assertion that its plantation workers are poorly treated, pointing out that it has won awards in relation to labor practices.

“TADECO takes good care of its workers. This is evident in the high production yield of TADECO, indicating that the workers are well motivated and very productive.  In fact, among all the banana companies in the Philippines, TADECO has been branded as a champion on labor and community relations,” it said. —ALG/RSJ, GMA News