P1 corruption will nix P33 B Malaysian reclamation project, Duterte warns

(late upload oct 20, 2014 news)

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has warned that the moment he knows that Malaysian investors have given even a mere P1 corruption money to any City Hall employee in connection with the P33-billion reclamation project they proposed he would “throw the papers” of the project.

In his regular TV program Sunday, he announced his zero-corruption policy to the Malaysians’ proposed reclamation project that would involve reclaiming and filling up of a 746-hectare coastal area starting from Isla Verde to the mouth of Davao River.

Malaysian investors would pour a whooping P33-billion investment to reclaim and develop the area.

“The project would have gestation period of eight months to one year, next year, and actual works will start in 2016. Wala na ko ana (I’m no longer a mayor by then),” he said.

“Maayo unta mosugot si Inday para kanunay way korapsyon,” the mayor added, referring to his earlier prodding anointment to his daughter and former Mayor Inday Sara to run for mayor in 2016.

He said that reclamation projects in the country had always been associated with corruption defrauding the government of billions of pesos.

He mentioned the PEA-Amari and Cebu reclamation deals.

The said projects were marred with controversies over secret acts of public officials involved which defrauded the government of billions of pesos.

Also, the mayor bared that the proposed reclamation project would have the possibility of relocating people living in Isla Verde, the reason why he has earlier asked President Benigno Aquino III for the amendment of the presidential proclamation over the Isla Verde and its vicinity that would include commercial use and not only residential use.

The project’s relocation scheme entails payment to acceding relocatees and the subdivision of reclaimed land to units that would be up for sale to recover and profit from project in scaled-up time.

Meanwhile, Mayor Duterte also bared that he just wanted a “simple commuter train that can move people” in the another modern light rail transit project proposed by South Korean investors with build-operate-transfer scheme. (Rural Urban News/Cha Monforte)