Dennis Uy, execs of firms behind third telco, gave P35.55M to Duterte campaign

At least six officers of the Filipino companies behind the provisional third telco player in the country contributed a total of P35.55 million to the 2016 campaign kitty of President Rodrigo Duterte, data gathered by GMA News Research show.

Udenna Corp. and its subsidiary, Chelsea Logistics Holdings Corp., partnered with China Telecommunication Corp. to form Mislatel Consortium, which was declared by National Telecommunications Commission as the provisional third telco player of the country.

Duterte's Statement of Contributions and Expenditures filed with the Commission on Elections shows that Dennis Uy, chairman of Udenna and Chelsea Logistics, was one of the President's top contributors, donating P30 million to his 2016 campaign.

GMA News Online is still trying to get a comment from Uy's camp as of posting time.

Uy is also the president and CEO of Udenna according to the company's 2016 General Information Sheet.

Uy's wife Cherylyn contributed P1 million to Duterte's campaign.

Documents from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) show that she is the treasurer of both Udenna and Chelsea Logistics.

In its declaration to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), Chelsea Logistics said Udenna Corp. is the holding company of the Uy family and is directly owned by spouses Dennis and Cherylyn Uy.

Through its subsidiaries, Udenna has a diversified business interests such as petroleum, real estate, education, and infrastructure. The company owns 70 percent of the outstanding shares of Chelsea Logistics, which was listed in the PSE last year.

Other Duterte donors

Efren Uy, a board member of Chelsea Logistics, contributed P3.5 million to Duterte's campaign.

Chryss Alfonsus Damus, the officer-in-charge of Udenna Corp. and president and CEO of Chelsea Logistics, gave P500,000 to the Duterte campaign.

Ma. Henedina San Juan, corporate secretary of both companies, gave P400,000 while Udenna and Chelsea vice president for finance Ignacia S. Braga IV contributed P150,000.

In total, Duterte received P375 million as contribution for his campaign in 2016.

Udenna

According to its website, Udenna was incorporated in 2002 and has interests in petroleum products and lubricants through Phoenix Petroleum, shipping and logistics, real estate and property development, education, leisure, gaming and tourism and infrastructure.

Its principal address is Davao City, where Duterte was mayor for two decades before he became President.

The Phoenix Petroleum website notes that Uy established the oil company in Davao City in 2002.

Phoenix Petroleum had 20 stations in southern Mindanao by the end of 2006. By 2007, it claimed to be the first oil company to be listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange after the passage of the Oil Deregulation Law in 1998.

It had more than 500 stations nationwide by 2016.

In September this year, Uy's Udenna acquired 70 percent of the restaurant chain Conti's Holdings Corp.

In 2017, Udenna acquired Enderun Colleges, a school in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City that specializes on international hospitality management and culinary arts courses.

Udenna also acquired in 2017 Philippine FamilyMart, the local franchise of the Japanese convenience store brand. —NB, GMA News