Senator Christopher ‘’Bong’’ Go said today he supports Senator Richard J. Gordon, chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee, on the necessary steps to take as the lead committee in investigating the controversial construction of a multi-billion-peso sports facility at New Clark city.
The privilege speech by Senator Risa Hontiveros about the Bases Conversion Development Authority's (BCDA) entering into a joint venture agreement with a Malaysian firm, MTD Capital Berhad, to construct the sports facility for the Southeast Asian Games was referred to Gordon’s committee while the Senate sports committee chaired by Go is the secondary committee.
‘’Para sa akin, kailangang lumabas ang katotohanan. At katulad ng mga sinabi ko noon, ni piso mula sa kaban ng bayan ay hindi dapat manakaw o masayang. Kaya kung may mga alegasyon ng anomalya sa anumang mga proyekto ng gobyerno, dapat sagutin at hindi palampasin ito,’’ Go said. (To me, the truth must come out. As I have said before, not one peso from the national treasury must be wasted or stolen. When there is an allegation of anomaly in any government project, there must be answers and not allowed to just pass us by.)
‘’To BCDA and other concerned agencies: naniniwala naman akong malinis ang inyong konsensya kaya sagutin ninyo nalang ang mga paratang laban sa inyo. Kung wala kayong itinatago, huwag ninyong hayaan na masayang ang mga pinaghirapan ninyo dahil lang sa intriga o malisya,’’ he stressed. (To BCDA and other concerned agencies, I know you have a clean conscience but you nevertheless have to answer the allegations against you. If you have nothing to hide, don’t let the good things you have done be destroyed by intrigues or malice.)
‘’I am urging BCDA to show that the construction of internationally-certified sports facilities in New Clark City was done in a completely above-board and legal manner, especially since the ADB (Asian Development Bank) acted as a transactions advisor and advised BCDA on all financial, technical, and legal aspects of the project,’’ Go added.
‘’Ramdam ko ang pinagdaanang hirap ng lahat upang maisakatuparan ang maayos na hosting ng nakaraang SEA Games. Dahil rin sa mga world-class sports facilities na naitayo, nakatulong ito sa tagumpay ng mga atletang Pilipino at sa pagbibigay karangalan sa ating bansa,’’ Go said. (I feel the hardship you have put in in having an orderly hosting of the SEA Games. The world-class sports facilities that were constructed helped our athletes win and it gave honor to our country.)
‘’Bilang Chair ng Senate Committee on Sports at isa sa mga pangunahing nagsulong na maitatag ang National Academy of Sports, hindi rin ako papayag na magiging white elephant ang mga pasilidad na ito. Naniniwala akong hindi ito magiging “for one-time use” lang dahil itinayo ito para mapakinabangan ng bawat Pilipino lalo na ng mga susunod na henerasyon na nais nating bigyan ng oportunidad na magtagumpay sa larangan nila,’’ Go said. (As chairman of the Senate sports committee and one of the sponsors of the creation of the National Academy of Sports, I will not allow the sports facilities become ‘white elephant.’ I believe it would not be ‘for one-time use’ because it was built to be used by every Filipino particularly for the next generation to be given the opportunity to become victors in the sports arena.)
‘’Bilang Pilipino, ipinagmamalaki ko na sa administrasyong ito, nagsikap tayong gawing world class, hindi lang ang mga pasilidad natin, kundi ang estado at pagtingin ng buong mundo sa bansa at sa bawat Pilipino,’’ he added. (As a Filipino, I hold in esteem this administration for working hard to make the facility ‘world-class.’ This is not only our facilities but the respect of the whole world of the Philippines and every Filipino.)
Go said Filipinos deserve the best and they expect nothing less from their government.
‘’So as public servants, we should provide the best kind of service that they deserve and at the same time, ensure that the people’s money is not put to waste,’’ he added.