Chinese firms should have been screened prior to allowing them in country —Lorenzana

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Tuesday said President Rodrigo Duterte should have screened companies which will operate in the Philippines to ensure that these firms will not pose a threat to the country. 

In a budget hearing, Lorenzana was asked by Cagayan De Oro City Representative Rufus Rodriguez if he would advise the President to blacklist firms, including the Chinese ones, which could threaten the country's sovereignty. 

"I think the advice that we can give maybe to the President is to properly screen these companies before they can conduct business here. But as I said a while ago, the President has already decided that they can continue their project here. All we can do is to be very very sure that their entry in our territory will not endanger our sovereignty," Lorenzana said. 

He noted that his comment on the matter is already moot and academic as Duterte already decided to push through with projects with Chinese contractors. 

"I think it is moot and academic because the President has already said that these companies can continue doing business in the Philippines, especially the one that will construct the Sangley airport," Lorenzana said. 

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teddyboy Locsin Jr. had planned to recommend the termination of contracts with Chinese firms allegedly involved in the massive island-building in the South China Sea. 

Locsin bared his plan after the United States had announced punitive measures against such companies. 

The US claimed that at least 24 state-owned Chinese companies, including subsidiaries of the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), helped the Chinese military “construct and militarize the internationally condemned artificial islands in the South China Sea."

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon urged the government last week to immediately end its contract with CCCC for the Sangley Airport development project, saying the company had a questionable reputation.

Senators Francis Pangilinan, Imee Marcos, Panfilo Lacson, and Bayan Muna party-list Representative Carlos Zarate backed Locsin's move to call for the termination of contracts with Chinese firms. 

Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla said he is willing to terminate the deal with firm CCCC on the Sangley Airport Development Project if it will threaten the Philippines' national security. 

The Defense chief, meanwhile, said he believes that the company won "fair and square" in the biddings for the construction of the said airport. He said terminating the contract could result in a "huge damage."

"These companies were blacklisted by the United States and bakit natin hinintay 'yung US na i-blacklist sila kung ayaw natin sila. Why did we not blacklist them in the first place para hindi na sila makapag-ano sa atin," Lorenzana said.

"But we did not do all that. They won fair and square [in the] biddings to construct Sangley airport. Ang pagkakaintindi ko diyan, mukhang ano na 'yung kontrata and if we will get out of the contract, granting the contract has been signed, then we will be slapped with huge damage," he added. —KG/RSJ, GMA News