The spokesperson of Manny Pangilinan’s mining company rejected Senator Antonio Trillanes IV’s accusations that Foreign Secretary Albert Del Rosario favored Pangilinan's businesses.
“Hindi totoo ‘yung sinasabi ni Trillanes na pinapaboran ni Del Rosario ang mga negosyo ni MVP,” Mike Toledo of the Philex Mining Corp. told GMA News Online Thursday.
Philex Mining Corp. is the parent firm of Philex Petroleum Corp., which was awarded a contract to explore oil deposits in Recto Bank (Reed Bank), another disputed area in the West Philippine Sea.
Del Rosario used to work for Pangilinan in several of the businessman's companies, including a stint at Philex as director.
Senate saw a heated exchange between Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Trillanes on Wednesday. Enrile accused Trillanes of siding with China on the dispute for Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, while Trillanes defended himself, saying that he was assigned as a “backdoor negotiator” by President Aquino.
Reading the notes given to him by ambassador to China Sonia Brady, Enrile said Trillanes accused Pangilinan of asking favors from Del Rosario — for one, that Pangilinan with the help of Del Rosario allegedly “asked the Chinese group not to release the findings” that the oil deposits in Recto bank “were not substantial.”
According to Brady’s notes, "[Trillanes] was accusing these two [Pangilinan and Del Rosario] of manipulating a war condition to divert attention from the Reed Bank."
This would effectively give “time [for Pangilinan]” to “sell [its rights in Recto Bank] to another buyer… to ensure that they can recover their investment,” Brady’s notes continued.
For his part, Toledo said the findings Trillanes was referring regarding the quantity of deposits in Recto Bank “is still an on-going study.”
“The [claim that the Recto bank is bigger than Malampaya] is only an estimate,” the spokesperson said.
As for Trillanes’ claims that the Pangilinan group is eyeing to sell its rights in Recto Bank, Toledo said he has not heard of such plans.
“As of now wala kaming alam na plano,” Toledo said, but he refused to further comment on the matter.
However, Toledo has confirmed one claim by Trillanes: that the senator asked Pangilinan to advise Del Rosario to “to quiet down” about China.
The spokesperson noted, though, that Pangilinan did not “dictate” to Del Rosario about foreign affairs.
“We can approach [Del Rosario]. But we cannot dictate [to] him,” Toledo said. — BM, GMA News
