Bantag said digging at NBP was for Yamashita treasure — Remulla

Suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag personally told Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla that he was digging for Yamashita treasure at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).

“By the way, that was supposed to be a treasure hunt for Yamashita treasure. Originally. I was told by Director General Bantag about it. And I told him to stop it. I told him to stop it,” Remulla said in an ambush interview Friday.

He said Bantag told him about it around August or September.

Remulla said he found the venture to be “ridiculous.”

“Hindi kasi, ridiculous nga. Saka you’re just wasting government time and money, ‘di ba? Hindi ko alam kung government time and money ang ginamit niya pero ridiculous para sa akin,” he said.

(It’s ridiculous. And you’re wasting government time and money. I don’t know if he used government time and money but it’s ridiculous to me.)

“You’re not there to seek for treasure. You’re there to run the corrections department,” he added.

When sought for comment, Atty. Thomas Balisong, Bantag’s lawyer, said he has yet to discuss it with the suspended BuCor chief.

Meanwhile, the Justice secretary also said the Ombudsman must be informed of the recent developments as it is their duty.

For his part, then-Justice Secretary and now Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra said Bantag never mentioned the alleged treasure hunt to him.

“Nothing of that sort was ever mentioned to me when I was SOJ,” he said.

Not valid

Earlier in the day, Remulla said the alleged contract between the BuCor and private firm ATOM for the pool project is not valid or enforceable. Bantag earlier defended the project, saying it was intended for training for disaster response.

“Balewala naman ‘yun kasi nga wala namang authority ‘yung secretary of Justice at saka walang authority sa pangulo ng Republika ng Pilipinas,” Remulla said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

(It’s not valid because it has no authorization from the secretary of Justice and there’s no authorization from the President of the Philippines.)

“It cannot be considered a valid contract. Kahit maghabol pa sila sa korte… ang tawag diyan unenforceable contract. Unenforceable ‘yan,” he added.

(It cannot be considered a valid contract. Even if they bring it up with the courts… it’s called an unenforceable contract. It’s unenforceable.)

Remulla issued the remark after suspended Bantag defended the pool project, saying it was intended for training for disaster response.

According to Bantag, the project was funded by a firm called ATOM in a joint venture agreement with BuCor.

He also said that the approval of Guevarra was not needed as he had authority being director general of the penitentiary.

He also said that the approval of then Justice secretary and now Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra was not needed as he had authority as the director general of the penitentiary.

Guevarra earlier said he was unaware of the excavation.

Meanwhile, Remulla said he would study if the joint venture agreement was proper without the authority of the Justice secretary at that time.

He also said someone may face charges for this.

“Posible. Titignan natin, pag-aaralan. Sa akin kasi it was a scrap of paper from the very beginning na hindi nga puwede,” he said.

(It’s possible. We will look into it, we will study it. For me, it’s a scrap of paper from the beginning that is not allowed.)

“I thought it was rubbish. It’s a piece of paper that belongs nowhere except the fact that if they wanted to make a proposal it should have been to the process given by our law. Eh, wala naman silang sinunod na batas tapos gusto nila papatulan ko,” he said.

‘Disapprove the project’

In an ambush interview, Justice spokesperson Mico Clavano said the DOJ also found a document from Guevarra advising former President Rodrigo Duterte to disapprove the project.

“So the recommendation was basically to not approve and because this falls under the BOT law, it requires the consent and approval of the president then,” Clavano said.

He further said there were issues with the nature of it being an unsolicited proposal as many requirements were not followed.

“So, the bidding process, I believe, was not gone through tapos other requirements, documentary requirements were also not complied with. So these are the things that we’re looking at,” he said.

Clavano also said that Bantag cannot enter into a deal alone under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) Law.

“It seems that that’s not allowed because under the BOT Law, which is the law found applicable here by the legal team, kailangan ‘yung approval ng DOJ and ultimately the president,” he said.—AOL/RSJ, GMA Integrated News