DOJ: Public bidding not needed for Nayong Pilipino lease deal

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Department of Justice (DOJ) has rendered an opinion that public bidding is not required for the validity of the P1.2 billion lease agreement entered into by the Nayong Pilipino Foundation (NPF) with West Side City, Inc., formerly known as Resorts World Bayshore City Inc. (RWBCI) covering 5.43 hectares of the former’s property.

In a four-page legal opinion issued by Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Ty, the DOJ reiterated its previous legal opinions that there is no law requiring the conduct of public bidding for the lease of government property. The DOJ issued its Legal Opinion No. 29 last July 6 in response to the request of NPF executive director Gertrudes Duran-Batocabe who sought the DOJ’s legal position on whether public bidding is an indispensable requirement for the validity of the lease agreement between the NPF and the RWBCI forged on August 20, 2014.

Batocabe told the DOJ that the NPF decided to lease a portion of NPF’s property with an area of 5.43 hectares to RWBCI for a consideration of an upfront advance rental of P1.2 billion in order to generate funds necessary for the development of Nayong Pilipino Cultural Park (NPCP).

According to Batocabe, the advance rental enabled the NPF to sustain its operations since it did not receive any allocation of government funds under the General Appropriations Act.

A report from the BI’s travel control and enforcement unit revealed that the victims were told to pretend to be outbound seafarers by a local manning agency.

One of the victims admitted to paying P120,000 to a recruitment agency, which was sent via money transfer. They were then referred to a local manning agency to secure their documentation.

Both were promised work as a cleaner and as a household service worker, and were given fake transit visas and seaman’s books. Vito Barcelo

BI nabs 2 Vietnamese in crypto con game

IMMIGRATION agents have arrested two Vietnamese nationals allegedly involved in cryptocurrency scam activities.

BI intelligence division chief Fortunato Manahan, Jr. identified the two Vietnamese as Phan Thi Lien, 27 and Nguyen Sanh Huy who were also arrested earlier by the Philippine National Police –AntiCybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) last May in Mabalacat, Pampanga.

They were said to be working in a crypto scam hub with trafficked employees, according to the PNP-ACG.

They were subject of an immigration deportation case and will be immediately sent back to their home country.

“Cases were previously filed against them, but their physical custody remains with the arresting agency,” he said.

“We were surprised to find them in our office, inquiring about the status of their case,” he added. Vito Barcelo

LEADER OF THE HOUSE.

House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez presides over the opening of the 2nd Regular Session of Congress Monday morning at the House of Representatives. Earlier, Romualdez handed over to Speaker Kim Jin-Pyo (left, inset) of the National Assembly of South Korea a copy of House Resolution No. 93 expressing the country’s strong support and solidarity with the Republic of Korea in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Korean Armistice Agreement.