‘Rehashed make-believe suit’

This is a reaction to the article which appeared in the Inquirer on Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011.

Seventeen long months after its inaction on a much-publicized, but totally baseless, complaint filed and accompanied by a media blitzkrieg on July 16, 2010, the Department of Justice now rides with the impeachment brouhaha and hounds Chief Justice Renato C. Corona and me.

After its slumber for almost two years, suddenly, the DOJ seeks to prosecute the head of the Judiciary and me, principally, for our supposed prohibited use of the Baguio Country Club.

Ironically, complainant and former John Hay Management Corporation (JHMC) operations manager Frank L. Daytec Jr. himself previously authorized such official JHMC expenses, preparing and signing, in years 2008-2010, the supposed marked checks, most of which were never actually used or encashed.

Moreover, neither the JHMC board nor the independent Commission on Audit (COA) noted any irregularity in the official use of the private facilities.

It was only three days after Daytec was summoned by the JHMC board, for breach of trust in using JHMC manpower and logistics for his personal purposes, that he filed such baseless charges, held a press conference, hastily resigned, and evaded disciplinary action.

After a two-year delay, the justice department now persecutes me through this make-believe suit.

I am an environmentalist and a staunch anti-corruption advocate. I helped address the garbage problem of the city by launching the first materials recovery facilities (MRF) in Camp John Hay. The JHMC board, under my leadership, brought in significant investments needed to boost Baguio’s economy while preserving the environment. Notable landmark contributions during my term were the Baguio Ayala Technohub that is now rising at the Camp John Hay, and the Tree Top Adventure facility that has been drawing in thousands of tourists since it was launched last year.

—MRS. CRISTINA ROCO CORONA