Who are PH Trams owners-directors?
One of them had a role in the original maintenance contract for the MRT-3 decades ago. One was a provincial campaign manager in 2010 of an influential administration man. One is even a government official. The niece of another is married to a high MRT-3 manager. The wife of yet another is the childhood friend of that MRT-3 manager’s wife.
That is how transport department insiders explain the apparent influence of PH Trams. That is how the newborn, undercapitalized firm became MRT-3’s maintenance contractor for nine months in 2012-2013.
One of PH Trams’ six incorporators-directors is Wilson T. de Vera. He is accused of attempting in July 2012 to extort $ 30 million from Czech train maker Inekon.
De Vera hails from Calasiao, Pangasinan, the province with the secondbiggest voting population. Although a US immigrant, he ran (and lost) for mayor of Calasiao in 2013 under the ruling Liberal Party.
Two more PH Trams incorporators — chairman Marlo de la Cruz and director Manolo M. Maralit — allegedly witnessed the squeeze play. Czech bidding. Signatory was MRT-3 GM Al Vitangcol. It was purportedly for him that de Vera demanded $30 million from Inekon. As head of the requisitioning agency, Vitangcol had drafted the terms of reference for the negotiations.
Also signing was Sec. Joseph Emilio Abaya, who in 2013 hastily would clear Vitangcol when the scandal was exposed. At the time Abaya had just succeeded Liberal Party-mate Mar Roxas as DOTC chief.
Vitangcol reportedly worked for Roxas when the latter was senator. It is unclear if Abaya and Roxas dealt politically with LP man de Vera. Malacañang spokesman Edwin Lacierda has said it is unlikely that President Noynoy Aquino, the highest of LP officers in the government, personally knows Vitangcol and de Vera.
Vitangcol and de Vera deny any wrongdoing. The former claims that the Czechs made up the extortion tale because he had blocked Inekon’s “overpriced” negotiation, in favor of public bidding. (China’s Dalian Corp. eventually won the tram-supply contract.) De Vera says he was merely asked, along with Maralit and de la Cruz, to explore a possible partnership with Inekon, not