UNA exec to Miss Earth: Don't hold event at Mercado property

MANILA, Philippines — United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) interim president Tobias "Toby" Tiangco on Thursday asked organizers of Miss Earth not to hold events at a resort allegedly owned by former Makati City Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado.

"It may already have reached your attention that the island-resort is owned by former Makati City Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado which was allegedly acquired through illegal means and forms part of his ill-gotten wealth," Tiangco, a representative of Navotas, said.

He recently revealed at the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee some properties allegedly owned by Mercado, who has also been accusing Vice President Jejomar Binay of having questionable wealth.

READ: ‘Accuser’s resorts cover 800 hectares’

Mercado's alleged assets include the Underwater Garden Hotel and Resort in La Jala, Coron and the multimillion-peso Villa Juanita resort registered under the names of Juanita Mercado and Karla Pascual Mercado.

The UNA executive reported that Mercado's real estate assets are all registered under the names of his children, wife, second wife, daughters-in-law, sons-in-law and siblings.

Tiangco said some of this year's Miss Earth International Pageant activities are set to be held in Coron town from November 23 to 25.

"While I fully support initiatives to showcase the beauty of the Philippines, specifically that of the islands of Palawan, and help promote responsible tourism in the area I have second thoughts over holding an international event in the controversial 100-hectare Coron Underwater Garden Resort in Palawan," Tiangco said.