PNCC says it has remitted P420 million to government

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine National Construction Corp. (PNCC) said it has remitted to the National Government P420 million in toll fees since 2007 when its franchise expired.

PNCC made the clarification following a letter from the Department of Finance (DOF) collecting from the PNCC unpaid toll since the agency’s franchise expired in 2007.

However, PNCC president Ma. Theresa Defensor said the agency had already turned over what it had collected since its franchise lapsed.

Defensor claimed that PNCC turned over the amount despite rulings from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC) that the collections belonged to the agency as “corporate funds.”

“Even without clear legal basis and no implementing rules and regulations (IRR), we turned over P420 million or 16 percent of the total,” she said, adding that the P420 million has been remitted in the course of three years.

She also clarified that PNCC has been authorized by the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) to continue collecting toll by virtue of a toll collection certificate, designating it as the collection agent of the government.

Defensor said the publicly-listed toll road company is selling its 20 percent stake in the South Luzon Tollway Corp. (SLTC) to cover the remaining balance.

She said they used revenues from the toll for maintenance of the SLEX and other expenditures.

Last month, the DOF ordered PNCC to remit to the Treasury the toll it had collected since its franchise expired in 2007.

The department said PNCC had been collecting toll since 2007 even if it is no longer authorized to do so.