Misamis Oriental town mayor denies extortion claims

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines - Misamis Oriental town Mayor Jueliette Uy broke her silence Wednesday over the controversy in the frozen $2-billion shipyard project of the South Korean giant company, Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Corp. Uy surfaced to assail her alleged role in the withdrawal of Hanjin and asked for proof of Hanjin's reported extortion complaint against her. She urged critics to "just shut up" if they can present none. "Prove it. I need proof that there is indeed such complaint, because in my talk with Phividec (Philippine Veterans Investment Development Corporation) and Hanjin officials, such extortion claim and that purported complaint against me does not exist," the Villanueva town mayor said in a press conference with her lawyers Wednesday. Uy and Tagoloan Mayor Paulino Emano were named by Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Ronaldo Puno as the town officials who had tried to extort Hanjin, forcing the company to ditch its shipyard project for good early last week. The project occupies portions of the two towns - all located within an industrial zone. Uy said she could not reconcile Puno's claims with what occurred during last Wednesday's meeting with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the "smooth-sailing" operations of Hanjin in her town. "The President during last week's meeting clearly said that there was no problem with regards to my town's handling with the Hanjin project. The focus of the discussion in that meeting was Tagoloan's stoppage order against Hanjin," she said. On the supposed extortion claim of Hanjin, Uy said she had this disproved when Phividec Industrial Estate Administrator Ninfa Along-Albania checked it with Hanjin country president Jeong Sup Shim. "Administrator Albania told me that Mr. Shim got mad about these bribery and extortion allegations when she tried to verify it with him. According to Mrs. Albania, Mr. Shim did not know where these ridiculous things originated," the mayor said. Puno, she said, could have been misinformed by local administration officials who wanted to see her reputation damaged. She did not name names. Albania was not immediately available for comment as of Wednesday. Uy also answered allegations "circulating in the media" that she had demanded Hanjin a supply contract for the shipyard's steel requirements. "This is a shipyard that needs giant steel columns that can only be bought in China and India. Surely, Hanjin officials are not that foolish to get steel supplies from our family-owned hardware store!" she said. She also came to the defense of Emano, who has taken a lot of heat after a national TV quoted him as saying "the South Korean firm had offered him P400 million worth of supply contract for aggregates." "What I can remember is that he (Emano) told the President that a Hanjin official had informed him that their aggregates need would total P400 million, and that Tagoloan would be benefited from this because the town is a supplier of quarry materials," she said. Emano had earlier denied that Hanjin had attempted to bribe him, saying he was only "misquoted" by the national TV network GMA. He also denied that he tried to corner juicy supply contracts with Hanjin. Citing "local disturbances" and other permit-related problems, Hanjin said it had decided to withdraw the shipyard complex project. The shipyard, one of the country's biggest single investments in years, would have employed around 40,000 workers, officials said. However, Uy said she can still "see signs of life" that Hanjin would return to start and complete the project. "Trainings are still on-going for shipyard workers and Phividec says Hanjin officials are returning once all their permits are granted," Uy said. - Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro