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RANKING Palace official has expressed concern about the
planned Senate probe on a high-rise condominium being
built in the Subic forest by Hanjin Heavy Industries and
Construction Ltd., saying this could spook potential
investors in the country.
Presidential Chief of Staff head Cerge Remonde said in a
phone-patch interview with Palace reporters that while
the Senate probe being pursued by Sens. Juan Miguel
Zubiri and Loren Legarda is “within” their right as
senators, they should also consider the fact that Hanjin
is among the biggest investors in the country today.
“We
should consider that Hanjin is not a fly-by-night
operator. It’s one of the biggest investors in the
Philippines,
so such an investor could be expected to adhere to the
rules and regulations of the host countries. That is why
I think we should approach these issues like this,
especially in view of our efforts to attract foreign
investors in this country,” Remonde said.
He
added, “If everytime we have major investors, then we
will try to look for lapses, all our efforts might be in
vain.”
Remonde
said the Senate probe is “within the right of the Senate
to do that, and let’s see the bottom line,” but in the
meantime, Malacañang “stands by the DENR on the issue.”
The
Senate probe will look into allegations of violations
committed by officials of Hanjin, the Subic Bay
Metropolitan Authority, and the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) with regards to
the $20-million high-rise condominiums constructed in
the
Subic rain forest.
Hanjin
is a member of the country’s “billion-dollar club,” a
name coined by President Arroyo to refer to foreign
investors that have infused at least $1 billion in the
country.
Last
year Hanjin invested $1.684 billion to build a shipyard
in Subic. |
