Gordon not surprised with renewed attacks

Independent Senator Richard J. Gordon today said he is not surprised that renewed attacks against him are now surfacing after he recommended the immediate filing of charges against those responsible for the P728-million fertilizer fund scam.

Gordon, chairman of the Senate blue ribbon committee, said the attacks against him are mere political diversionary tactics designed to distract him and the people from knowing the complicity committed by those implicated in the fertilizer project.

"The wolf packs are obviously behind these attacks against me so that I and the people would be distracted from pursuing the cases against those responsible for the fertilizer fund scam. I have absolutely nothing to do with that project," he said.

"If this is the price I have to pay for taking courage to say and do what is right for the country, then I shall bravely face my detractors. I know that the Filipino people, especially the poor farmers who were duped, are behind me," he added.

Felino Palafox Jr. of Palafox Associates-Woodfield Consultants, Inc. implicated Gordon, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Board of Directors member Ricardo Coscolluela, Buhay party-list Rep. Ma. Carissa Coscolluela, PAGCOR Chairman Ephraim Genuino, and former Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay in the alleged bribery and protectionism in the construction of a $120-million hotel-casino project in Subic.

He reportedly said during the hearing of the House committee on bases conversion that they were the "backers" of SBMA administrator Armand Arreza in supporting the project.

Palafox's firm lost in the bidding for the project after all the respective proposals of all qualified bidders were ranked in accordance with the set of criteria formulated under the Terms of Reference governing the bidding for the project.

Gordon said he would also not be surprised if more attacks shall be hurled against him as he is set to investigate other anomalies and alleged irregularities in the government.

"There remains a duty to look at and pursue the truth about serious allegations of many irregularities in government," he said.

"We must get the rascals out of the government," he added.

After the release of the committee report on the fertilizer fund scam, Gordon is now drafting the committee report on the National Broadband Network-ZTE deal which he aims to finish before the Senate goes into recess on March 7.

The blue ribbon committee is also set to probe, among others, the collusion among contractors and government officials in World Bank-financed infrastructure projects, the bribery allegations surrounding drug enforcement agencies, and procurement anomalies in the Armed Forces of the Philippines.