No other government agency, here, there or everywhere has Atty. Arthur P. Tugade at its helm. That’s why. For Tugade is the very definition of transparency.
Of even greater meaning, Tugade translates that transparency to trust. Whence finding best
articulation – and recurrent refrain – thus:
“But what had the biggest impact on CDC’s performance was the set of policy reforms initiated by Tugade that, among others, instituted a culture of integrity and transparency in the dealings of the government-owned firm and its personnel with the Freeport (sic) current and prospective business locators and other clients.” As just about every report of accomplishment at the Clark Freeport invariably carries, albeit in variations of that same theme.
Risking redundancy, if only to justifiably impact a most deserved accolade: No other government agency this side of BS Aquino III’s straight path is as transparent as the Clark Development Corp.
Again, all due to Tugade. Meriting now the honorific His Transparency, Atty. Arthur P. Tugade.
In all appearances, Tugade has so defined transparency at the Clark Freeport that them word finds its singular meaning in him, applies and accrues only to him, thereby becoming – the word and Tugade – deprived, if not devoid, of any synonym in the whole CDC, its board, its vice presidents, its managers, the rank and file.
As Tugade owns virtual copyright to transparency, its antonym necessarily makes the rest of the CDC, where obtains an either-or proposition. In this case, where one is, all the others are not. Easy picking the nut, er, the not. Thus, outside Tugade/transparency, only opacity in the rest of CDC. Consider:
Just last May 6, representing Tugade at the Talk Widus forum of the Pampanga Press Club at the eponymous hotel casino, CDC VP for Business Development Eva Tejada power pointed the latest accomplishments of CDC – net income of P554 million for 2014, the highest single-year remittance of P400 million cash dividends turned over to the national government, all-time high cash position of P2.277 billion by the end of 2014, and $4.75 billion exports value also in 2014, to cite the most awesome.
Pursuant to the express policy of His Transparency at the CDC, the media asked Tejada, for statistics not covered by her presentation, such as the import volume to range against exports and find the differential profit or loss; the status, cost, and contractors of CDC projects related to the APEC senior ministers meeting at the Freeport, notably the rotunda at the entry to Clark, the parade ground rehabilitation including the toilet and jogging path, the Clark Museum refurbishing and the 4-D theatre construction plus the Risen from the Ashes video, the CCTV control center setup.
Plus, the copy of the contract of Customs Commissioner Bert Lina, parts of his leased property remained undeveloped since the 1990s and yet spared of the take-over policy of His Transparency for such lands.
Tejada – before TV cameras, recorders and pen-paper of the assembled media — asked for one week to give her ample time to provide the data they wanted.
I am writing this June 4, and what we have received from CDC – by email last May28, full 15 days past Tejada’s deadline – was incomplete stats on the parade ground project. As is:
PARADE GROUND IMPROVEMENT
1. Park Improvement including new CR, Repair of Jogging Path, Benches with Pavers and Landscaping. Php 4.7 M
2. Asphalt overlay of Jogging Path, Phase 2. Php 2M
3. Supply and Installation of Rubber Jogging Track. Works consist of supply and installation of Polyurethane “PU” Rubber Matting, Sealer and two coats Rubberized Paints including Anti-skid on Top Coat. Php 7.7 M
4. Supply and Installation of Park Lights and Area Lights. Works consist of supply and installation of additional 49 sets of 10ft Park lights (20watts LED) and 16 sets of 50ft Area Lights (1,600 watts LED). Php 6.2M
First to notice: No name of contractors and suppliers. Did the contract carry a confidentiality clause on their identity, Madame Eva?
Second: Obfuscation on the item for the CR – at P4.7 million – lumped with some other works, notably “repair of jogging path” which should have been included in the other items pertaining to the same subject, i.e. items 2 and 3 in the list above.
So how much did the P4.7-million CR really cost?
Something is not transparent there. Giving due credence to what the investigative Ashley Manabat wrote in his story on this subject in our past issue: “…that CDC higher ups asked not to include it (project cost) in the press release which came out in several local newspapers without the figures.”
Almost past a month now, we have yet to see even but a page of the other data we asked for, and Tejada promised to give us. Leading us to speculate, if maliciously, that some CDC managers are now frenziedly applying their doctoring degrees on the reports we wanted. Which makes a travesty of Tugade’s very persona at the CDC. Aye, His Transparency wears the emperor’s new clothes.
