Mariing itinanggi ni Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) Chairman at CEO Alejandro Tengco ang isyu ng conflict of interest sa mga kontratang nakuha ng construction company ng kanyang pamilya, at iginiit niyang wala siyang anumang impluwensiya sa pag-award ng mga public works contract.
Umalma si G. Tengco matapos lumabas ang ulat na kaya umano nakakuha ng proyekto ang Nationstar Development Corporation, ang kumpanyang itinatag niya noong 2015, ay dahil sa koneksyon niya sa pamilya ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“For one, my position as Chairman and CEO of PAGCOR has no direct or indirect influence in the awarding of public works contracts to Nationstar,” aniya.
“For another, I have fully divested all my interests in Nationstar when I assumed the top PAGCOR post in 2022, thus eliminating any potential conflict of interest. I actually started divesting my holdings to my children in 2019,” dagdag niya.
Ayon pa sa kanya, Kongreso ang dapat magpasya kung kailangan pang palakasin ang conflict-of-interest safeguards.
Inihayag din ng PAGCOR chief na nasa construction industry na siya noon pang 1996, o halos isang dekada bago niya itinatag ang Nationstar.
“As a legitimate business entity, Nationstar has previous and ongoing contracts with both the government and the private sector, including many local governments,” sabi niya.
Noong administrasyon nina dating Pangulong Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III at Rodrigo Duterte, natapos ng kumpanya ang retrofit at fit-out works sa Malacañang premier guest house at sa Presidential Management Staff building.
“These projects built our reputation in the industry and led to subsequent awards,” dagdag niya.
Kabilang din sa mga nagawa ng kumpanya ang modular hospitals sa gitna ng pandemya, at ilang private-sector projects nitong mga huling taon tulad ng senior high school building sa Ateneo de Manila University at iba pang school facilities, na naging basehan upang makuha nila ang proyekto sa Western Visayas State University –isa sa mga kontratang binanggit sa ulat online.
Tinapos din ng kumpanya ang retrofit at fit-out ng Meralco headquarters na, ayon kay G. Tengco, ay patunay na pumapasa ang kumpanya sa “strict vetting” ng parehong public at private entities.
Binigyang-diin din niyang kahit may ilang DPWH contracts ang Nationstar, wala rito ang flood control o mga “ghost projects.” “This is further proof of the company’s track record and professional integrity,” aniya. Kaugnay sa Davao City bypass road project, sinabi ni G. Tengco na lumahok ang Nationstar bilang bahagi ng consortium dahil masyadong malaki ang proyekto para
sa iisang kumpanya.
“We joined a consortium which included the China Road and Bridges Corporation because they have the capability to undertake such big project, and the consortium won the bid, not Nationstar,” aniya. “Singling out my close ties with the Marcos family would thus seem very selective, and distorts the efforts of Nationstar to engage in legitimate business activities regardless of partisan political considerations,” dagdag ng PAGCOR chief.
