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A new complaint has been filed against Vice President Jejomar Binay and several others, this time in connection with the allegedly anomalous deal between the University of Makati and System Technologies Inc. (STI).
Lawyer Renato Bondal filed plunder, malversation, and graft charges against Binay, suspended Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay, and University of Makati President Tomas B. Lopez, Jr. for supposedly misusing funds intended for the College of Nursing of UMak.
Also named respondents in the case were STI officials Eusebio Tangco, Monico V. Jacob, and Annabelle Borromeo, as well as Dr. Jack G. Arroyo, Jr., one of the incorporators of the joint venture between STI and UMak.
In his complaint, Bondal said a total of P504,583,560 meant for the UMak College of Nursing from 2004 to 2013 were diverted to the joint venture, called Philippine Healthcare Educators, Inc. (PHEI).
PHEI manages UMak’s College of Nursing.
Bondal accused Binay of using one Arroyo as a dummy to earn from the school while the quality of education at the college suffered.
Bondal said Arroyo, a nephew of former Senator Joker Arroyo, owned 20 percent of the shares of PHEI, while STI and UMak each had 40 percent.
Bondal also accused Makati, UMak, and STI officials of jacking up the tuition fees of UMak College of Nursing, charging as P38,850 up to P40,000 per semester compared to the usual UMak tuition fee of P1,500 for Makati residents and P3,000 for non-Makati residents.
Bondal alleged that the Makati officials violated the Government Procurement Reform Act when it chose STI for the joint venture without proper bidding. He also claimed that the P1.2 billion building housing the College of Nursing was overpriced.
NOTHING IRREGULAR IN THE JOINT VENTURE – BINAY CAMP
The camp of Vice President Binay already denied Bondal’s allegations.
Lawyer Rico Quicho, Binay’s spokesperson for political affairs, said the creation of PHEI was duly approved by the city council.
”The Vice President merely represented the City of Makati in the Joint Venture Project as evidenced by the City Council Resolutions and Ordinances. He never held any business interests therein in his own capacity,” he said.
Quicho, citing the Articles of Incorporation of PHEI, said Binay, as then Makati mayor, ”held only one qualifying share in the company for the sole purpose of representing the City of Makati in the board of directors of the said company.”
According to Quicho, UMak’s College of Nursing was created through UMak’s Board of Regents’ Resolution No. 2003-056 dated May 21, 2003, which authorized then mayor Binay and the chairman of the university’s Board of Regents, to enter into a joint-venture with the STI.
On June 10, 2013, the city council passed an ordinance allowing Binay to negotiate a joint-venture agreement with STI, he said.
Quicho said UMak and the city government owned 40 percent of the shares of PHEI, while STI and Arroyo held the remaining 60%.
He said UMak provided the base facilities and non-nursing faculty, while STI and Arroyo, then president of the American Eye Clinic, provided related learning experience, on-the-job training and placement, and the equity for the building of nursing school, specific facilities and equipment.
”The Joint Venture Project is a model of Public-Private-Partnership that has generated at least P262 million financial benefits to the City of Makati and its beneficiaries,” Quicho said.”Makati has benefited immensely from the Joint Venture. It has earned P42 million in dividends and around P70 million in rental, utilities and general education faculty fees from the joint venture.”
This article has been re-published with permission from ABS-CBNnews.com.
