SBMA Chair Eisma sees political persecution behind graft complaint

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairperson Wilma Eisma sees political interests behind the graft complaint filed against her before the Office of the Ombudsman.

In a complaint filed on Monday, lawyer Raymund Palad claimed that Eisma failed divest herself of shareholdings in TECO Philippines—a home appliance maker and locator at Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

According to the complaint, Eisma owns 25 shares of TECO and was even appointed as member of the company’s board of directors while being the administrator of SBMA.

Section 3 (h) of the Anti-Graft and Corruption Practices Act prohibits public officials to directly or indirectly have interest in any business, contract, or transaction in connection with which she or he intervenes or takes part in an official capacity.

Sought for comment on Tuesday, Eisma said her shareholdings in TECO were not acquired in her private capacity but that she merely represents SBMA in TECO. She noted that company is owned by the Subic Bay Development and Management Corp. Inc. (SBDMC)—a joint venture between SBMA and Taiwan’s UDC Group.

“I only represent SBMA as the nominal shareholder of the 25 shares in TECO. I am not the owner of those shares but I only represent SBMA in my capacity as administrator,” Eisma told GMA News Online.

“I could not have divested because it is not mine to divest, it is not mine to disclose it in my SALN (Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth),” she emphasized.

An SBMA official has been sitting in TECO’s board since 1994, but nobody has ever filed a complaint, Eisma noted.

“Who are the people behind this? What is their motivation? They may be using this issue for a political motive. Ginagamit nila ako para maging popular,” she said.

“Bakit nila ito ginagawa sa ‘kin? Sino ba ang sinasagasaan ko? Sino ba ang gustong gumamit nito para sumikat?” she said.

She might have earned the ire of several groups as she closed several locators at the SBMA for not paying rentals and not securing appropriate permits, according to the SMBA official.

“Ako lang ang liderato dito na naniningil at na nagpasara ng mga establishments kasi hindi nagbabayad ng renta at walang business permit,” she said. —VDS, GMA News