MANILA — Civic group Citizen’s Crime Watch on Saturday said it is considering to file criminal cases against the management of state-owned IBC 13 over joint venture agreements it signed with a real estate firm.
IBC 13’s signed a joint venture agreement with Ardo Builders to convert a portion of its compound to residential condominiums, but station employees have yet to receive years-worth of compensation, said Diego Magpantay, national president of Citizen’s Crime Watch.
"Ang kinukuwestiyon natin ay iyan ba ay tama, dumaan ba sa tamang proseso?” he told weekly press conference Pandesal Forum.
“May mga procurement na allegedly hindi dumadaan sa bidding… Saan napunta yung inggreso noon?” he said.
IBC 13, a government station, has a P400-million unpaid obligation to its workers who retired between 2008 and 2019, said Alberto Sanchez, president of IBC13’s labor union.
“Yung joint venture agreement is P728 million,” he said.
“Wala daw kita ang IBC pero from 2010 to 2022, makikita mo na may lumalabas na P8 million, P9 million a year,” he said.
Sanchez and Magpantay also alleged that the company had been using taxpayer’s money to procure new equipment that are never used.
“May binili pa silang equipment. Hindi na nila idinaan sa tamang proseso, baka hindi na din puwedeng gamitin,” Magpantay said.
“Hindi pa naikabit, baka next year obsolete na yan. More than P180 million ang ginastos ng pamahalaan,” he said.
Magpantay said his group is already in possession of several documents, but “are still willing to investigate further.”
Sanchez, on the other hand, is urging the current administration to address the years-long call of IBC workers to pay their unsettled salaries.
“Mapakinggan kami ni PBBM (President Bongbong Marcos) sa hinihinging tulong ng IBC and yung mga retirees po matulungan bago mamatay,” he said.
IBC 13 chief executive officer Hexilon Alvarez denied the allegations.
"The thrust of the current leadership of IBC under this administration has always upheld the principles of transparency, social justice, and the prioritization of the rights of its employees,” he told ABS-CBN News in a text message.
“In no way whatsoever will the current management act against the search for truth, neither shall it be a hindrance, if indeed there were irregularities in the deal in question,” he said.