DOJ hands off on graft probe of ex-Nayon execs

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice (DOJ) is keeping its hands off the investigation on the possible criminal liabilities of sacked Nayong Pilipino Foundation (NPF) executives over their allegedly irregular deal with a casino-resort investor.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said his office would not conduct a probe on the liabilities of the NPF officials even if it is established that the deal is anomalous or grossly disadvantageous to the government, which could be ground for a graft case.

Instead, Guevarra said he tapped the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC) to review the NPF’s contract for the $1.5-billion NayonLanding project of Landing Resorts Philippines Development Corp. (LRPDC).

Guevarra stressed that the DOJ would leave the matter up to the Office of the Ombudsman where Maria Fema Duterte, a distant relative of the President, filed criminal and administrative complaints against her fellow NPF board members in May.

“A complaint for graft has been filed before the ombudsman against former board members of the NPF, so that will not be a focus anymore of the DOJ review,” he said.

The complaint against the NPF board members, led by chair Patricia Yvette Ocampo, alleged that the amount of the contract was disadvantageous to the government.

The complainant claimed that the government stands to lose some P25 billion over 50 years.

The DOJ has concurrent jurisdiction with the ombudsman’s office in conducting investigation on corruption charges against government officials.

But its findings should be forwarded to the anti-graft agency, which has the exclusive mandate to prosecute cases falling under the jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan.

Guevarra pointed out that the probe of the OGCC, which is under the supervision of the DOJ, is limited to the review of the validity of the contract and determination of whether or not it is disadvantageous to the government.

He added the OGCC review would not cover the approval by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) of a five-year provisional license for casino operations of the LRPDC.

“Any license granted by Pagcor could only be provisional in character as the grant of a regular license depends on the existence of a valid contract of lease between the NPF and the prospective developer or operator,” Guevarra explained.

Last week, President Duterte sacked the entire NPF board and management over a lease contract, which he called “gravely disadvantageous” to the government.

Under the lease contract, the LRPDC, a subsidiary of Hong Kong’s Landing International Development Ltd., will develop a $1.5-billion casino-resort on the NPF property at Entertainment City in Parañaque.