Kaibigan ni Duterte di na nagpabayad sa ‘quarantine ships’

HINDI na tatanggapin ng shipping at logistics company na 2GO ang P35 milyon na bayad ng pamahalaan sa paggamit ng dalawang barko nito bilang quarantine facilities ng mga hinihinalang tinamaan ng COVID-19, ayon sa chairman nito na si Dennis Uy.

“As chairman of 2GO, I have conferred with other shareholders and have given explicit instructions to waive the P35M expected payment from the government; and if necessary make good the said amount out of my own funds to cover for the expected expenses to operate the said ships,” ani Uy sa kalatas.

Matatandaang kahapon ay isiniwalat ni Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade na magbabayad ang pamahalaan ng P35 milyon sa 2GO bilang sa renta ng dalawang barko nito.

Si Uy, ang chief executive officer ng Udenna Corp., ay kilalang malapit na kaibigan ni Pangulong Duterte. Sinabi ng negosyante na ang paggamit ng dalawang barko ay

“intended to be a donation” at ang

“actual cost was at P260 million.”

“The P35M was an offer made by the DOTr, for which we had no plans of accepting,” aniya.

“Again, I apologize if this news has unduly offended some of our fellow Filipinos, so let me be clear, 2GO is providing two vessels to serve as quarantine facilities free of charge to the Filipino people. Even if the government offers to pay the P35M, we in 2GO, in good conscience, have no intentions of accepting their offer.”