DOJ junks CJHDevCo spokesman’s MR on perjury charges

The Department of Justice (DOJ) denied the Motion for Reconsideration (MR) filed by Manuel T. Ubarra Jr., the lawyer and spokesperson of the Sobrepena-led Camp John Hay Development Corporation (CJHDevCo) on the perjury charges filed against him by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) before the DOJ.

“Respondent Ubarra, Jr. is a lawyer. It needs no reiteration that the ethical standards applicable to a member of the bar, who thereby automatically becomes a court officer, must necessarily be one higher than that of the market place,” stated the five-page resolution dated 11 February 2014 penned by Prosecution Attorney Gail Stephanie C. Maderazo and approved by Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Richard Anthony D. Fadullon and Prosecutor General Claro A. Arellano.

BCDA president and CEO Arnel D. Casanova welcomed the resolution, adding that the DOJ’s resolution is a “glaring indicator” that Manuel T. Ubarra, Jr. has “zero credibility.”

“We laud the DOJ of its decision to deny the MR, it is indeed a legal victory for the BCDA,” Casanova said adding that the case filed by Ubarra, Jr. was a clear case of harassment.
It would be recalled that CJHDevCo spokesperson and lawyer Manuel T. Ubarra, Jr. was arraigned by the Quezon City Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 41 last 20 January 2014 for perjury. Ubarra’s arraignment came after the court junked his lawyers’ motion to dismiss the perjury case.

The perjury case against Ubarra stemmed from the alleged deliberate assertion of falsehood in a sworn statement given to the Office of the Ombudsman.

BCDA president and CEO Casanova filed a complaint for perjury with the DOJ, citing glaring falsehoods in the affidavit executed by Ubarra, Jr. who is the vice president for litigation of the CJHDevCo, a lessee of the BCDA-owned Camp John Hay, Baguio City which owes government Php3.4 billon in rental arrears.

Casanova’s complaint stated that on July 4, 2012, Respondent Ubarra, Jr. executed a Complaint-Affidavit before Atty. Marlyn T. Galvez, Director of the Public Assistance Bureau of the Office of the Ombudsman in Quezon City, falsely accusing Casanova that he did not promptly respond to CJHDevoCo’s letter dated December 29, 2009; that it took Casanova more than sixty (60) days to reply in a letter dated March 1, 2010.

“In making these statements, Respondent (Ubarra, Jr.) deliberately asserted falsehoods under oath. I only became President and CEO of BCDA when I took my oath of office on April 15, 2011,” Casanova’s complaint read. The imputed acts took place more than a year before Casanova became the BCDA president.

Casanova’s complaint emphasized that “Respondent’s (Ubarra, Jr.’s) affidavit was required by law. The Rules of Procedure of the Office of the Ombudsman, Administrative Order No. 7, require that complaints filed before the Office of the Ombudsman should be under oath or, if not, substantiated by the affidavit of the complainant or those of his supporting witnesses.”

Several firms express interest in SCTEX Service Area bid

The state-owned Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) said several firms have expressed interest in the long-term lease of a two-hectare property along the 94-km Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) and its development into a service area.

BCDA President and CEO Arnel Paciano D. Casanova said the firms that attended the pre-bid conference last March 07, 2014 for the SCTEX Macangcung Area were Double Dragon Properties Corporation, LBC Express Business Solutions/Development, Manila North Tollways Corporation, Northern Star Energy, and Northwalk Land, Inc., PTT Philippines Corporation, and Seaoil Philippines, Inc.

“We look forward to the eventual submission of bids by these firms when the BCDA undertakes the public bidding for the SCTEX Service Area,” Casanova said.

BCDA chairperson of the Asset Disposition Program Committee Atty. Nena D. Radoc said interested parties may still buy the Terms of Reference (TOR) until April 02, 2014, the new deadline for purchase of TOR.

She said interested bidders could purchase the TOR for a non-refundable fee of Fifty Thousand Pesos (P50,000.00) payable to BCDA in manager’s check until April 02, 2014 at the BCDA Corporate Center, 2nd Floor, Bonifacio Technology Center, 31st St. corner 2nd Avenue, Bonifacio Global City. The TOR may also be viewed in the BCDA website at www.bcda.gov.ph.

Earlier, Casanova said the development of the SCTEX Macangcung Service Area involves the establishment, operation and maintenance of a gasoline station with amenities. He said the amenities of the service area would include, among others, rest rooms, sufficient and adequate parking slots, emergency First Aid station, potable water and lighting system, emergency vehicle repair shop and convenience stores.

The SCTEX Macangcung Service Area lot is located in Brgy. Santiago, Concepcion, Tarlac. It is located at the Clark-bound/north-bound direction of the Clark-Tarlac segment.

Radoc said the minimum starting annual fixed lease would be Three Million Five Hundred Thousand Pesos (P3,500,000.00), starting on the fifth year and subject to a five percent annual escalation. Thus, there will be a rent-free period from the first to fourth year of the lease period.

She said that upon contract signing the winning bidder shall remit to BCDA a Security Deposit equivalent to the winning bid and shall post a Surety Bond with a face value of Seven Million Pesos (P7,000,000.00).

The deadline for the submission of the eligibility documents and final proposal by bidders is on April 04, 2014 at 12 pm.

PHOTO: Asia-Pacific Diplomats tours Clark and Subic for economic familiarization

Display News by: All • SCTEX • Investment & Projects • Freeports & EcoZones • Corporate Social Responsibility

PHOTO: Asia-Pacific Diplomats tours Clark and Subic for economic familiarization

Author: BCDA
Posted: March 13, 2014 | Category: General News

Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) Chairman Rolando P. Gosiengfiao presents the concept of the Clark Green City Project during the Economic Familiarization Tour of Clark and Subic for Asia-Pacific Diplomats held at the Holiday Inn-Clark last March 8, 2014.  Over 60 participants comprised of Ambassadors, Commercial Attaches and other diplomats from the 21 Asia Pacific Region embassies attended the event which aims to promote Subic and Clark as trade and investment destinations.  The activity is conducted by the Department of Foreign Affairs, in partnership with BCDA, Subic Clark Alliance for Development (SCAD), Clark Development Corporation (CDC), Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC), Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), Global Gateway Logistics Corporation (GGLC), PhilExport, the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, North Luzon Expressway, Nayong Pilipino, Betis Crafts and Tours, Philippine National Police Pampanga and Region III. 

PHOTO: Sharing the long-term vision for Poro Point, La Union

Rolando Gosiengfiao (right), Chairman of state-owned Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), shares the Master Development Plan (MDP) for the Poro Point Freeport Zone (PPFZ) to the thousands of attendees of theSillag Poro Point Festival of Lights on March 8, 2014. According to Mr. Gosiengfiao, the MDP is a 50-year development plan for the former US station which starts with the establishment of dedicated zones for business, commerce, transit, tourism and residential.  The PPFZ is home to key infrastructure projects—the San Fernando International Seaport and the San Fernando Airport—and is the country’s gateway in Northern Luzon.  Looking on are supporters of the 3^rd Sillag Festival led by ABONO Party List Representative Francisco Emmanuel “Pacoy” Ortega (fourth from left) with officials of the Poro Point Management Corporation (PPMC) led by Chairman Ives Nisce (beside Rep. Ortega) and President Florante Gerdan (second from right), and Thunderbird Resorts Pilipinas Chief Operating Officer Angel Sueiro (beside Nisce).

Arnel Paciano Casanova (third from left), President and Chief  Executive Officer of the state-run Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), joins the inauguration of three road projects worth P75.95 million.  The roads opened to the public include the street leading to the historic Poro Point Lighthouse, which serves as a beacon of lighting guiding fishermen to safety, and the newly rehabilitated Mayor Lorenzo L. Dacanay Avenue, San Vicente-Pagudpud Road along the San Fernando Airport.  These roads are expected to help boost tourism and business in Poro Point Freeport Zone and serve as a catalyst in generating business in the region. Shown standing before the Poro Point Lighthouse are (from left) Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Engineer Melanio Briosos, PPMC President and CEO Florante Gerdan, Casanova, La Union Governor Manuel Ortega, La Union First District Board Member Francisco “Kit” Ortega, Jr., PPMC Chairman Ives Nisce, PPMC Director Mitchel Verzosa, Governor Ortega’s wife, Geraldine, PPMC Director Nicolas Tabora, and PPMC Vice President for Human Resources, Administration and Finance Vicky Soriano.

PHOTO: Unveiling the Master Development Plan (MDP) for Poro Point

Government leaders and members of the private sector jointly unveil the master development plan (MDP) of the Poro Point Freeport Zone during the annual Sillag Poro Point Festival of  Lights last March 8, 2014 at San Fernando, La Union. The MDP is a strategic 50-year blueprint prepared by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), in coordination with the Poro Point Management Corporation (PPMC) and Palafox Associates, and is geared towards spurring the economic growth of the former US station through the development of specialized zones for business, transport, commercial, and residential. Shown in photo are (from left): PPMC Director Vladimir Rodriguez, BCDA Director Elmar Gomez, PPMC Director Jorge Banal, BCDA Chairman Rolando Gosiengfiao, ABONO Party List Representative Francisco Emmanuel “Pacoy” Ortega, La Union Governor Manuel Ortega, PPMC Chairman Ives Nisce, Thunderbird Resorts Pilipinas Chief Executive Officer Angel Sueiro, PPMC President Florante Gerdan, and BCDA Head for Business Development Arrey Perez.

PHOTO: Coloring the night sky with hope and prosperity

Arnel Paciano Casanova, President and Chief Executive Officer of state-owned Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA),  joins thousands of tourists in releasing LED-powered hope lanterns during the third annual Sillag Poro Point Festival of Lights last March 7, 2014 at San Fernanco, La Union. The festival which has drawn over 20,000 tourists is expected to boost the tourism and business industry in the region.  With Casanova are (from left): Jamie Agbayani, President and CEO of the John Hay Management Corporation (JHMC); Jenny Ortega-Manguiat, co-chairman of Sillag Executive Committee; Ives Nisce, Chairman of Poro Point Management Corporation (PPMC); and PPMC directors Jorge Banal, Mitchel Verzosa, and Vladimir Rodriguez.   The release of hope lanterns to the sky is symbolic of the Filipino people’s capability to achieve their aspirations.  The Sillag Festival is seen as a game changer in La Union’s tourism and business landscape.

Poro Point San Fernando Airport secures PPP funding

The state-owned Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) said the development of the Poro Point  San Fernando Airport  at the Poro Point Freeport Zone in San Fernando, La Union into an international gateway is now among the projects under the government’s public-private-partnership (PPP) program.

BCDA President and CEO Arnel Paciano D. Casanova said the Project Development and Monitoring Facility (PDMF) Board of the PPP Center  has approved funding support for the engagement of Transaction Advisory Services (TAS) for the development of the  said airport.   

“We are confident in the expertise of the PPP Center to take the lead in bidding out the development of the  Poro Point  San Fernando Airport,” Casanova said adding that “with the project under the PPP Center, the development of the airport will be fast-tracked.”

Casanova said the proposed project shall have two components, namely, the upgrading of the airport facilities to meet the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) requirements for  safety and to serve larger aircrafts for international flights; and the construction of airport terminal with commercial complex.

He said the PPP Center is now preparing the necessary documentation for the procurement of the TAS or consultant to do the feasibility study, prepare bid documents, and assist in the bidding process until the financial closure of the project with the private developer/investor.

He noted that the project development phase is an important first step as it will define the parameters for the next phase which is the design and construction phase. The construction phase is seen to start by the middle of 2015.

According to Casanova, the development of the Poro Point San Fernando Airport is envisioned to establish it as a regional airport that can also accommodate direct international flights, serving as gateway to La Union, Baguio and other tourist spots within the region. It is also aimed at providing link with and complementing the operations of the Clark International Airport.

“An airport terminal shopping mall will be constructed similar to Changi Airport of Singapore, but much smaller in scale,” Casanova said.

He added that  the development of the airport will include, among others,  development works such as removal of obstructions such as hills, trees, transmission lines; provision of  air navigation system; and the  construction of a new terminal building, fire stub taxiway and new apron.

BCDA to fund P76M Poro Point road projects

San Fernando, La Union – The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) is allocating nearly P76 million of its revenues on three road projects to improve access to the Poro Point Freeport Zone (PPFZ) and boost tourism.

The three projects, which were launched recently by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in a groundbreaking ceremony, include the construction of the road leading to the Poro Point Lighthouse; repair of the road leading to the Poro Point Management Corp. (PPMC); and upgrading the road leading to the San Fernando Airport.

BCDA president and CEO Arnel Paciano D. Casanova said that “this initiative is in line with the BCDA’s mandate to be a catalyst for national growth and development.  The PPFZ is a key economic driver in the region, and these road projects will make it more accessible to tourists and locators.”

R.A. 7917 sets aside 27.5 percent of the BCDA’s earnings for infrastructure projects, including the construction and upgrading of highways, railways and other transport facilities to improve access to former military bases. The BCDA and its subsidiary, PPMC, identified the Poro Point road projects which the DPWH will execute.

According to Ives Q. Nisce, PPMC Board Chairman, the road projects will be instrumental in boosting tourism and economic activities in the Freeport zone, particularly the annual Sillag Festival, one of San Fernando’s biggest tourist draws.  The projects are scheduled to be finished by February 2014, in time for the Sillag Festival.

 “The road going to the PPFZ  become flooded during the rainy season. Through the projects, this perennial problem will be finally solved,” Nisce said.

Planning for the project started in 2012 while funds were appropriated last July.

The road projects have been given support by the local government, with Vice Governor Aureo Nisce saying, “I hope to continue this good partnership with PPMC to further develop our province.”

Casanova reiterated the BCDA’s support of further development in La Union, adding that “through these infrastructure projects, La Union can maximize its potentials to become the business and leisure hub in the North.”

BCDA and PPMC to spearhead PPP for airport upgrade

 

The state-run Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) and its subsidiary, Poro Point Management Corporation (PPMC) is looking to launch another PPP (public-private partnership) project, this time for the upgrading of La Union’s San Fernando Airport to meet the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) requirements for catering to larger aircrafts for international flights. The upgrade will also include the development of an airport terminal with mall complex, touted to become a small-scale version of Singapore’s Changi airport. Rebel Group International BV is set to conduct the feasibility study until the financial close for the PPP project. In photo (seated right to left): BCDA president and CEO Arnel Paciano D. Casanova, PPP Center of the Philippines Executive Director Cosette Canilao, and Rebel Group International BV Team Leader Jeroen In’t Veld ink the contract for the Transaction Advisory Services. Witnessing the signing are (standing right to left) PPMC president and CEO Florante Gerdan, PPMC Director Jorge Banal and vice president for airport operations Josefa Catherine Bada.