Whistle-blower thanks Duterte for firing Nayong Pilipino board members

The whistle-blower in the allegedly disadvantageous lease deal entered into by the Nayong Pilipino Foundation (NPF) officials on Wednesday thanked President Rodrigo Duterte for firing NPF board of directors and management.

"Nagpapasalamat po ako sa ginawa ng ating Pangulo na desisyon," said Maria Fema Duterte, an NPF board member and a distant relative of the President, in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV.

She said by firing the officials, President Duterte stayed true with his campaign promise to rid the government of corruption.

In May, Fema filed a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman against NPF chairperson Patricia Yvette Ocampo and other board members in relation to a lease agreement with Landing Resorts Philippines Development Corp.

She alleged that the government stands to lose P517 million a year or a total of P25.85 billion in the 50-year deal that supposedly involves the establishment of an integrated resort-casino.

"Kasama ko ang transition team, nagtrabaho kami, nagsimula ako mag-investigate until such time na may nakikita akong irregularities kaya nagsampa po ako sa Ombudsman," Fema said.

She also bared an alleged unauthorized trip by the board members to Jeju Island in South Korea on board a private plane provided by Landing prior to the awarding of the project.

"Dun [sa Korea] nag-usap-usap sila kung ano ang mga transaksiyones patungkol dito sa Nayong Pilipino na ii-invest nila," she said.

"Pagdating nila dito sa Pilipinas, November, ina-award nila through a resolution 'yung project doon sa Landing. Walang bidding, walang publication, wala silang challenge from ibang investors. Hindi dinaan sa proseso." 

Fema said she wrote the Parañaque city council informing them of the results of her investigation, but it supposedly did not act on it.

"Wala akong magagawa kung desisyon nila na binalewala nila 'yung sulat ko," she said, adding her findings were backed by a Commission on Audit (COA) report.

Though having the same surname, Fema said she is not directly related with the President: "Duterte po ako kasi naka-crossbreed ako ng Duterte," she said.

Fema, however, refused to answer the question if she is among those fired by the President since she is also part of the NPF board.

"No comment ako diyan. Kung ano man ang desisyon ng Presidente, kung kasama ako, prerogative niya 'yan," she said.

Fema also said she was excluded in board meetings and even denied access to documents pertaining to the lease deal. She said she was able to secure the documents through COA. —KBK, GMA News