CORRUPTION
MANILA, APRIL 18, 2012 (MANILA STANDARD) Written by Emil Jurado - In
September or October last year, concerned employees of the Development Bank of
the Philippines filed a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman against
their chairman, Jose Nuñez Jr., for graft and corruption and violation of the
Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials.
The same complaint was also filed before the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
This happened after the suicide of DBP lawyer Benjamin Pinpin, who took his
own life because of a show-cause order from Nuñez.
Nuñez is a protégé of businessman Salvador "Buddy" Zamora, a contributor to
President Benigno Aquino III's campaign in 2010.
Strangely, eight months have passed and no action has been taken by Ombudsman
Conchita Carpio-Morales or BSP Governor Amando Tetangco.
I have written about this before and I do so again now.
How does the inaction of the two agencies fit into the much-vaunted "Daang
Matuwid" or straight and narrow path of President Aquino?
The bank employees say that "for the first time in the history of the bank,
the chairman of the board of directors, Jose A. Nuñez Jr., has entirely thrown
caution to the wind and has acted with utmost impropriety by:
Cavorting in his provincial sorties, under the guise of project visits, but
actually to play golf;
Worse, in these sorties, he solicited and used, in gross violation of ethical
standards for public officers and employees and for his personal benefit, the
private plane of a bank client, who has several accounts with the bank, the
approval of which are often within his and the board authority; and
When the accounts of said client were taken up in the board for approval, the
chairman of the board, being a known lackey of the client and a director of the
latter's company, did not even bother to inhibit himself from the proceedings
even for delicadeza's sake, and had the temerity to preside in the voting for
the approval of the client's accounts."
The client referred to is Zamora, a friend of President Aquino. Nuñez was
reportedly a former chief of staff of Zamora. This was why Nuñez managed to be
named bank chairman even though he was not known in banking circles.
The complaint listed violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act
by Nuñez in using Zamora's planes as follows:
September 2, 2010—to General Santos using the bank client's Lear Jet,
Sometime in November 2010—to Cagayan de Oro using the bank client's Lear Jet
again,
November 25-26 2010—to Vigan, Ilocos Sur using the bank client's King Air
plane,
Sometime in January 2011—to Batangas for a golf tournament using the bank
client's private plane.
Zamora reportedly has several loans from the DBP.
So why isn't Ombudsman Carpio-Morales acting on the employees' complaint?
Daang matuwid, my foot!
And why isn't the Bangko Sentral also not doing anything?
Section 16 of the General Banking Law of 2000 prescribes the "fit and proper
rule" of bank directors and officers, stating that "after due notice to the
board of directors of the bank, the Monetary Board may disqualify, suspend or
remove any bank director or officer, who commits or omits an act which render
him unfit for the position. In determining whether an individual is fit and
proper to hold the position of director or officer of a bank, regard shall be
given to his integrity, experience, education, training and competence."
Well, isn't Nuñez a bank officer who must be subject to the same fitness
standards?
It's quite obvious that there's a double standard of accountability here —one
for friends of the President, and another one for his political enemies.
***
Vice President Jejomar Binay need not explain the organization of the United
National Alliance, a joining of forces of his PDP-Laban and former President
Joseph Estrada's Partido ng Masang Pilipino, as well as other political parties
like the Nacionalista Party, Nationalist People's Coalition, and some members of
former President Gloria Arroyo's Lakas-Kampi.
Why should he? Binay is not beholden to President Aquino for anything. He ran
under his own party, and not under the Liberal Party which the President heads.
If Malacañang and the Liberal Party are having sleepless nights on the
formation of the UNA, I can't blame them. The UNA does present a formidable
challenge to the administration party.
Maybe the Liberals should also seek a coalition with others. I doubt whether
it could do this, though. UNA is now the predominant political party.
***
Pilipino Mirror, a mass-circulated daily tabloid in Taglish, was launched
Monday by the ALC media group. ALC stands for Antonio Cabangon Chua, whose
conglomerate also publishes Business Mirror and Graphic and a dive magazine
called View. The ALC Group also has DWIZ, and Insular Broadcasting System.
I wish the ALC Group the best in this new venture.
(Published in the Manila Standard Today newspaper on
/2012/April/17)
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
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rights reserved
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