President Rodrigo Duterte lashed out anew against the Ayalas, saying they are more corrupt than the Bureau of Customs.
“It’s not merely — it’s not merely in the water sector. It’s in the LRT and some lands that were leased to them. Would you believe it? At 70 pesos per hectare ‘yung lupa diyan sa UP,” Duterte said in a speech delivered in Quezon City Wednesday.
The President earlier ordered a review of the UP-Ayala Land Technohub lease agreement, which is believed to be disadvantageous to the government.
“Talagang if you compute, all the corruptions done by those, ‘yung mga Customs, it pales in comparison sa nakaw nitong…,” he said.
But, that’s not all there is to it. Duterte also criticized the Ayala Foundation, the social development arm of the Ayala group of companies, which he likened to Salonpas, a product for pain relief.
Ayala Land on Monday belied the claims, saying the state university would receive a total value of P171 per square meter per month during the duration of the 25-year contract for a total of P10.23 billion.
The amount was derived from the P4.23 billion in lease payments and P6 billion investment in 16 commercial buildings, Ayala Land said.
"Kung ang statement nila less than P10.4 billion plus 25 years and only 16 commercial buildings eh talagang lugi. Yun ang klaro," he said.
(If their statement is true that they will pay less than P10.4 billion plus 25 years and only 16 commercial buildings then we're really at a loss. That's clear.)
"Sobrang ang laki ng kita nila," he added.
(They are earning too much)
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Tuesday the UP Technohub lease deal was "casually mentioned" during a meeting on the government's review of the water concession contracts with another Ayala-owned firm, Manila Water, and Maynilad.
"We (DOJ) have not been directed to review that lease contract as yet I understand that UP is doing its own internal review," Guevarra told ABS-CBN News in a text message.
President Duterte earlier this month promised to "correct" all government contracts before he steps down from office in 2022.
The chief executive said he ordered the Office of the Solicitor General and the Department of Justice to check all of government's existing contracts.
"All contracts that are prejudicial to the Filipino people will be corrected. 'Yan ang maaasahan mo (you can expect that), within the limited time left for me in office, sabi ko, I will correct everything, including contracts that are not to the best interest of the Filipino people," Duterte said.
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