PEZA chief, 3 others face graft raps

Four officials of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), one of them the agency’s head, were charged with graft before the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission for allegedly extorting P2 million from a Cebu businessman.

They are PEZA director-general Lilia de Lima and her secretary, Lita Malicdan; deputy director-general for operations Harriet Aborda, and assistant team leader Felicidad Sayo.

In his complaint, Franklin Ty, plant manager of Pearl City Manufacturing Corp. (PCMC), said Sayo told him last May 31 that his company’s unaccounted shortage of imported materials could be "easily resolved" if they would give in to PEZA’s "demands."

"They caused undue injury to PCMC by unlawfully withholding the import permits, and thus paralyzing the operations of the company (that) to date is continuously suffering tremendous financial strain," he said.

Ty said Sayo had floated the amount of P2 million and gave him the cellular phone number of Malicdan, whom he was made to understand could negotiate for De Lima.

"We always do these locators," he quoted Sayo as saying. "Hindi kasi kayo nagbibigay sa kanila."

When he talked with Malicdan, she told him that whatever Sayo says is "sanctioned" by De Lima, he added.

Aborda was impleaded in the complaint because Ty had alleged that Sayo had informed him that Aborda knew about the whole thing.

Last May, PEZA audited PCMC for an unaccounted shortage of 8,259,645 kilos of imported materials.

The audit covered the year 2002 up to the first quarter of this year.

However, Ty said his company had rejected the P2 million "financial arrangement" via a letter to De Lima last July 22.

"I regret to inform you that my superiors declined your request for monetary arrangement to resolve the issue the company is under investigation for the reason that it did nothing illegal," read the letter.

"The management reiterates that it has not committed the offense complained of, and the issue brought against the company is pure and simple harassment.

"I would like you to know that I am under instruction to face the issue brought against our company squarely in any forum."

PCMC had submitted to PEZA auditors all the needed documents, and that all its transactions were aboveboard, he added.

Ty’s complaint was subscribed and sworn to before Cebu City Prosecutor Cezar Tajanlangit last July 23.

PCMC is registered with PEZA and operates in Mactan Export Processing Zone in Cebu.