DOJ opinion on BuCor-Tadeco deal out this week

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Justice (DOJ) is set to release this week its legal opinion on the contract between the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) and Tagum Agricultural Development Co. (Tadeco) owned by the family of Davao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Antonio Floirendo Jr. that Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez had questioned for allegedly being anomalous.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said in an interview that the legal opinion might come before the “Lenten break.”

Last week, Aguirre created a legal team headed by Chief State Counsel Ricardo Paras III to look into the regularity of BuCor’s 25-year joint venture agreement with Tadeco for the lease of 5,300 hectares of the Davao prison and penal farm.

The BuCor is an attached agency of the DOJ.

Other members of the team are technical staff director Ma. Charina Buena-Dy Po, State Counsels Precious Pojas, Melvin Suarez, Noel Adriatico and Catherin Angela Maralit.

The DOJ chief ordered the review of contract upon request of Alvarez, who sought cancellation of the allegedly disadvantageous contract.

Aguirre specifically directed the review committee to determine the alleged disadvantages of the contract to the government and repercussions on its proposed termination.

Alvarez has alleged that the BuCor-Tadeco deal is disadvantageous to the government, citing estimates provided by real estate and agriculture experts using similar developed banana plantations in the country.

The Speaker claimed that based on his estimates, the government would lose a total of P25.464 billion.   

Tadeco president Alex Viloria has already denied the allegation and vowed to cooperate with any investigation.

He said their contract forged in May 2003 with the government is aboveboard, contrary to the allegation of Alvarez that it could lead to some P25 billion in losses on government’s part.

Alvarez asked the DOJ earlier to file a graft complaint against Floirendo before the Office of the Ombudsman while filing a House resolution seeking probe on the deal.

This was after their “girlfriends” reportedly figured in a controversial conflict.