(Eagle News)—–The lease contract entered into by dismissed officials of the Nayong Pilipino Foundation with Landing Resorts Philippines Development Corp. is void from the start and is therefore “definitely for cancellation.”
This is the ruling of the Department of Justice itself that conducted a review of the contract, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said on Friday, Aug. 31.
The DOJ’s opinion is an echo of the position of President Rodrigo Duterte, who ordered the review after he fired the management and board of the NPF on Aug. 7.
On the same day, a ground-breaking ceremony was held for the project.
Prior to the dismissal, a complaint was lodged by a distant relative of Duterte before the Ombudsman against NPF officials over the project.
“According to the Secretary of Justice, the contract of Landing with Nayong Pilipino is a build-operate-transfer contract disguised as a lease contract,” Roque said.
Roque said as such, the project “should have complied with the required BOT law including public bidding.”
“This of course rebuts the public advertisement paid for by former officials of the Nayong Pilipino,” he said.
“Huwag na pong magpilit ang Landing. I don’t think they’re also in a position to insist,” he said, as he called for the filing of charges against them, or for the Ombudsman to look into those involved in the contract.