Trillanes links PAG-IBIG Fund's insurance broker to VP Binay

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Monday linked the insurance brokerage handling the insurance business of the Home Development Mutual Fund or Pag-IBIG Fund to Vice President Jejomar Binay claiming it was part of the latter’s pattern of corruption.

 

During the hearing of the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee, Trillanes said Lockton Philippines Insurance & Reinsurance Brokers, Inc, has ties with Binay.

 

He highlighted the name of three corporate officers: Raoul Angangco; Maria Concepcion Simundac, corporate secretary; and Leo Bernard Samaco, assistant corporate secretary.

 

“Si Angangco, ito ang senior partner ng V&A Law. Si Simundac at Samaco, mga partners sila. A few weeks back, I stumbled upon information regarding the alleged bribery of Court of Appeals justices facilitated by Atty Pancho Villaraza na  partner ni Raul Angangco. Dito maliwanag na ang V & A  is with the Binay camp,” Trillanes said.

 

“So three directors sa Lockton Insurance na may monopoly ngayon ng insurance sa Pag-IBIG ay partners ng isang law firm na nasa kampo ni VP Binay,” he added.

 

The senator earlier said two CA Justices accepted P25 million each to halt the suspension of Makati Mayor Junjun Binay in connection with the alleged overpriced Makati City Hall Building II.

 

He said it was Villaraza, supposedly supporting the presidential campaign of Vice President Jejomar Binay, the Makati mayor’s father, who allegedly facilitated the transactions.

 

Trillanes said: “I really wish na coincidence yan but again citing yung pattern of corruption, template of corruption ni Vice President Binay, I sincerely doubt that. Ngayon ito COA, again, please review the regularity of this transaction with Lockton by Pag-IBIG and kung kailangan i-negate at i-abolish, for example, ang agreement na yan.”

 

Pag-IBIG president Darlene Berberabe defended the decision to reform the insurance aspect of its services. She said they consulted, worked closely with, and got high praise from the Insurance Commission and Department of Finance. She also said the PAG-IBIG still has a say on which insurance firm Lockton chooses to accredit.

 

But for Trillanes, Pag-IBIG’s move to dismantle the previous monopoly of the Fund's insurance business was still not good enough.

 

“That’s even worse. Sabihin natin may say ang Pag-IBIG sa Lockton, mas delikado yun. You made it worse. From a bad position, you made it worse,” he said.

 

To which Berberabe retorted: “Sa dami ng aking magandang sinabi, talagang lahat worse pa din? Gandang ganda na nga ako eh.”

8990 Holdings
 

The senator also raised the issue on 8990 Holdings, which he claimed was the biggest developer today. He said it was headed by a certain Jayjay Atencio, who was the son of the first cousin of Pag-IBIG director Tomas Lopez.

 

Lopez is also the president of the University of Makati. 

 

Berberabe said Atencio’s connection with Lopez had been disclosed to the board and she believed it should not be an issue as the relationship is already at the 5th level of consanguinity. 

 

“Hanggang 4th degree ang prohibited so pag 5th degree ay malayong kamag anak na. So unang una po, na disclose naman po, na yun ang relasyon ni Prof. Lopez,” she said. 

 

She also refuted the statement of Trillanes that 8990 flourished during her term at Pag-IBIG.

 

“Ang 8990 ay hindi agad nakapasok nung nagkaroon ng reporma post-Globe Asiatique. Nakabalik lang siya nung nakapag-adjust na siya sa kanyang internal guidelines. 

 

Bumagsak nga ang transaction nung simula ang bagong management at bagong guidelines,” she said. 

 

She further said that 8990 Holdings was not involved in developmental loans but in end-use financing. 

 

Trillanes and Berberabe also got into a heated exchange when the former brought the issue of detained Globe Asiatique owner Delfin Lee.

 

He said Vice President Binay used Pag-IBIG to get back at Lee who refused to give the former P200 million.

 

“Respected ka sa College of Law. Now you are allowing yourself hindi lang maging instrument ng corruption but also to be an instrument of injustice. Hindi ba Pag-IBIG Fund ang nag pa-facilitate nitong mga kaso na ito? Kayo ang nagpa-facilitate na kasuhan si Delfin Lee?” Trillanes said.

 

To which, Berberabe replied: “I take very strong exception against your statement that I am being used as an instrument of abuse. Ako po ay taong may kahihiyan sa katawan at napakahalaga po sa akin ng honor. I came from the private sector.”

 

“I was not without a job. I did not apply for this job. I initially refused this job. I thought that public service will be a very good experience for me. And I thought that public service really is,” she added. 

 

Trillanes also said the people who filed cases against Lee were really inexistent.

 

“Hinanap natin yung inestafa daw, hinalughog natin. We gave you the benefit of the doubt pero ni walang isa na nagreklamo na nagbayad siya ng pambili ng bahay pero wala silang bahay,” he said.

 

Globe Asiatique case complainants feel 'invisible'

 

After the hearing, victims of Lee tried to talk to Trillanes but the senator just walked away.

 

One of them, Evelyn Niebres, said she was disappointed because the senators treated them as if they are invisible.

 

“Nagagalit ako sa nangyayari sa amin na para kaming invisible, na ito lang kaming mga complainant. Paano nilang sasabihin na wala silang niloko. Dismayado ang nararamdaman ko sa ngayon dahil kami heto humihigi ng hustisya, humihingi kaming tulong sa gobyerno para mabigyan ng hustisya. Paano sasabihin na kami tinakot lang? Heto kami, humaharap sa inyong lahat na hindi kami tinakot ng kahit sino man,” she told reporters.

 

She said it seems some senators are putting a spotlight on Lee. 

 

“Parang ang nangayayri, pinasisikat na naman nila ang pangalan ni Delfin Lee, kung sino ang nanloko sa maraming tao,” she said.

 

Niebres said she has yet to get the title of a house and lot in GA Xevera project in Pampanga which she for P1.5 million in cash.

 

Lee is facing syndicated estafa before a San Fernando Regional Trial Court in Pampanga. He was accused of defrauding the government of P6.6 billion in housing loan proceeds contracted by home buyers who, investigators later found out, were mostly fictitious or had incomplete documents. — ELR, GMA News