Group condemns media 'harassment' over reports on IBC 13-RII Builders deal

A group has called on the National Press Club (NPC) to probe claims that several members of the media have been "harassed" for reporting on the alleged anomalies in a joint venture agreement (JVA) for the development of state-owned TV network Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation's (IBC-13) property in Quezon City. 

 

In a statement sent to justice reporters in Manila on Monday, the Coalition of  Filipino Consumers, through its secretary-general Perfecto Jaime Tagalog, condemned efforts by RII Builders Inc-Primestate Ventures, through lawyers of its owner businessman Reghis Romero, to "harass" reporters who earlier wrote about the joint deal.

 

"We call on  the Committee of  Press Freedom of the National Press Club to look into reports that some media outfits have received 'warning' from Romero’s lawyers on possible lawsuits should they continue writing negative stories," said Tagalog.

 

Tagalog added: "The Coalition has been an ally of the media in ferreting out the truth.  Any form of media harassment is despicable."

 

Earlier, anti-corruption group Philippine Crusader for Justice (PCJ) said it would be filing a petition with the Supreme Court seeking to nullify the JVA between IBC-13 and RII Builders Inc-Primestate Ventures, which the group said had been found by the Office of the Ombudsman to be "injurious" to the government.

 

Sought for comment, R-II Builders corporate secretary Mark Boado said via Twitter that the alleged harassment is "just a dirty tactics from a desperate group... It has been cleared long time ago. Misinformed lang yung advocate kuno."

 

Boado also said, "maybe the Senate should investigate the various paid bogus organization giving inaccurate info to the public."

 

Romero’s camp had already claimed that they have documents supposedly from the COA as well, and the Office of the Ombudsman clearing RII Builders  from liabilities in the said joint agreement with IBC 13.

 

IBC-13 and RII-Primestate signed the agreement on March 24, 2010 to develop 36,401 of the 41,401 square meters of IBC-13 property in Broadcast City, Capitol Hills, Diliman, Quezon City. The plan involves the construction of a residential complex. The remaining 5,000 square meters will house two buildings for IBC-13.

 

The PCJ said under the joint venture deal, RII Builders originally will pay IBC-13 P728 million.

 

The Ombudsman filed a criminal case in 2013 against former IBC-13 executives and Primestate for violation of Republic Act No. 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act), and Falsification of Public Document under Article 171 of the Revised Penal Code.

 

According to the Ombudsman, the JVA caused undue injury to the government in the amount of P254,843,401 representing the difference between the Commission on Audit (COA) valuation and the JVA valuation of the 36,401 square meter property, which gave unwarranted benefits to RII-Primestate.

 

The Ombudsman said the agreement between IBC-13 and RII-Primestate is not only grossly disadvantageous but also invalid and illegal for failure to follow the guidelines and procedures in forging a JVA between the government and private entities. It also said there was evident bad faith and manifest partiality in favor of RII-Primestate to the detriment of IBC-13.

 

In its 2011 report, the Commission on Audit said the land contributed to the JVA was undervalued at only P9,999.99 per square meter when it could have been appraised at a much higher rate of P22,000 per square meter.

 

COA added that the agreement in the JVA was in favor of RII Builders Inc-Primestate Ventures Inc. as IBC-13 would only be left with 5,000 square meters for its Broadcast City “with a relatively small 2-storey commercial building which may earn a small income.”  — ELR, GMA News