Ex-Nayong Pilipino chair laments allegations of corruption in NayonLanding project

Dismissed Nayong Pilipino Foundation (NPF) chairperson Patricia Yvette Ocampo is lamenting allegations of corruption against her and other board members for supposedly entering into disadvantageous lease deal involving the NayonLanding project.

“Tama na ang kasinungalingan at panlilinlang. We are innocent of the utterly baseless charge of corruption. We shall not allow our names and reputations to be recklessly smeared by entities who have selfish and monopolistic business interests to protect,” Ocampo said in an open letter published on Wednesday in national dailies.

“We were not given our day in court. We became targets of a vicious smear campaign solely aimed at derailing the NayonLanding project, ostensibly over charges of corruption. This is a blatant lie,” she said.

On August 7, President Rodrigo Duterte fired the board of directors and management of the NPF on the same day NayonLanding project broke ground.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque noted that the President cited the 70-year lease agreement with Landing Resorts Philippines Development Corp. was ridiculously long and grossly disadvantageous to government.

In her open letter, Ocampo said that nowhere on the contract was it stipulated that the lease period was 70 years.

She said the lease contract is for 25 years and renewable for another 25 years.

Former NPF board member Maria Fema Duterte, a distant relative of the President, filed in May a complaint against Ocampo and other board members in relation to the lease agreement. She alleged that the government would lose P517 million a year or a total of P25.85 billion from the deal that involves the establishment of an integrated resort-casino.

On the issue that the lease deal is disadvantageous to the government, Ocampo said that apart from the P360 per square meter per month or monthly rent of P34,460,640.00 to be paid by Landing Resorts Philippines, the NPF will receive 10 percent of net profits from the operations of the three theme parks and attractions of NayonLanding which translates to P210 per square meter per month.

“As such, the effective lease of the property to be paid by LRPDC is P570 per square meter per month,” Ocampo said.

Palace statement

In a separate statement, Roque said on Wednesday that if the NPF trustees and officials believe that they were unfairly accused of graft and corruption, then they should focus their energies on any investigation of the charges.

“At the end of the day, all public officials, including those who are in government-owned and controlled corporations, serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority, who happens to be the President,” he said.

“However, for now, let us respect the decision of the President ... Since the President has already spoken, no NPF trustee or official can insist that he or she should continue holding office.”

Duterte has taken a stand again gambling, and the NPF officials violated the President’s order that there will be no more new casinos allowed to operate in the country, Roque noted.

Duterte ordered the lease contract reviewed, saying it was ‘flawed’ and did not go through public bidding.

In her open letter, however, Ocampo said a lease agreement does not require public bidding.

“Under Republic Act No. 9184, otherwise known as the Government Procurement Reform Act, and Executive Order No. 301 (Decentralizing Actions on Government Negotiated Contracts, Lease Contracts and Records Disposal), the lease of the NPF property to LRPDC need not go through public bidding and is, in fact, specifically excluded from coverage of provisions on public bidding,” she said.

She emphasized that the lease contract also does not need the National Economic Development Authority’s (NEDA) approval.

“Again, the law, specifically Republic Act No. 6957 as amended by Republic Act No. 7718 (Build Operate Transfer Law), says a Contract of Lease is not subject to prior approval by NEDA.”

Ocampo said the contract and the project were legally and procedurally sound.

“Despite the fact that all procedural and legal requirements were strictly followed by the NPF Board in getting the project off the ground, opponents and critics of the project had shamelessly foisted lies about the project, and falsely and maliciously accused the NPF, its trustees, and its officials of graft and corruption in approving the deal with LRPDC,” she said. —Ted Cordero/VDS, GMA News