PSE monitoring Senate Blue Ribbon committee hearings

The Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) on Tuesday said it is monitoring Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee hearings to check if businessman Antonio Tiu's statements during the panel's probe were also disclosed to the public.

"In the case of Greenergy and AgriNurture, we want to make sure that any narration of Mr. Tiu during the Senate hearings that are considered material developments have actually been disclosed or are properly disclosed to the public,” PSE president and CEO Hans B. Sicat said in an emailed statement.

Sicat noted that the PSE monitors all listed companies to "ensure that they adhere to our disclosure rules and that the investing public is properly informed."

Greenergy CEO

Tiu has been dragged into the Senate's investigation into alleged corruption in Makati when Vice President Jejomar Binay was still the city mayor.

Tiu has also claimed that he bought a 145-hectare property in Rosario, Batangas from a Laureano Gregorio.

Tiu is the CEO of Greenergy Holdings Inc.,a listed company engaged in renewable energy and semiconductor business that owns Sunchamp Real Estate Development Corp. which has real and enforceable rights over the said Batangas property.

In his statement, Sicat said that though Sunchamp is not a listed company, its transactions that could materially affect any listed company will still need to be properly disclosed.

Tiu is also the chairman of the board of AgriNurture Inc, an agro-commercial business engaged in export trading of fresh Philippine carabao mango, cavendish banana, pineapple, and coconut water.

“If there are any illegal acts conducted by officers of listed companies that are proven true, this could have an impact on any application for listings of such company in the context of our suitability rules. If there will be continuous disclosure violations by any company that will be established by the Exchange after the conduct of its own investigations and affording due process, they will also be subjected to penalties as provided by the PSE rules,” Sicat said.

According to the statement, PSE earlier sought clarification from Greenergy and AgriNurture relating to a news article about Sunchamp's connection with the Batangas farm.

"The clarificatory statements from Greenergy and AgriNurture were published by the PSE through its disclosure portal PSE EDGE," it read. — Kathryn Mae P. Tubadeza/BM, GMA News