MALACAÑAN PALACE
MANILA
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES
[ ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 347, December 11, 1972 ]
EXONERATING EDGARDO TORDESILLAS, VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF INVESTMENTS, FROM THE CHARGES FILED BY EUGENIO LOPEZ, SR.
This is an administrative case filed by Eugenio Lopez Sr. against Edgardo Tordesillas, Vice-Chairman, Board of Investments for taking advantage of his office and his official time to promote his private business interests, violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, discrimination and giving undue favor to an enterprise for personal favor for personal favors received, and income tax evasion.
Specifically, the complaint charges respondent with (1) using his official time to run his private business interests, and promoting, by taking advantage of his office, the sale of subdivision lots of Balesin, Inc., of which he is chairman of the Board and sole owner through Intrasia, the holding company he owns and controls and of which he is vice-chairman and general manager; (2) violating Section 3, paragraphs (h) and (i), of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Act by subscribing to P400,000 worth of shares of Fil-Eastern Wood Industries, whose project was approved by the BOI; (3) prejudice and malicious discrimination against Meralco and its affiliates, and undue favor to Electro-dynamics, Inc., for personal favors received by respondent. The supplemental complaint charges respondent with continuing his connections as officer of private enterprises despite the denial by the Office of the President of his request to continue the same.
In answer to the complaint, respondent, on first charge, denies taking advantage of his office and official tine to promote the business of Balesin Corporation and Intrasia, Inc., and further denies being chairman and general manager of Intrasia Investments. On the second charge, he likewise denied that he is a stockholder of Fil-Eastern Wood Industries, having sold his interests therein before assuming his position in BOI and before said enterprise filed its application with BOI. As to the third charge, he also denies having favored, through his office, Electrodynamics, Inc., since the P100,000 loan from Filipinas Bank and Trust is not his personal loan but that of Balesin Inc., nor having delayed the award of the transformer project to Philippine Electric Corporation (PHILEC) and worked for the favorable consideration of the transformer project of Electrodynamics. He further denies seeking the award of a supposed discrepancy in measured capacity between the first and second Investment Priorities Flan representing 3,000 additional transformer units in favor of Electrodynamics Inc., having actually voted in favor of awarding the 3,000 additional units to Philec. On the fourth charge, he denies any income tax evasion and maintains that complainant, in his computation, failed to consider respondent ‘s gross income of P97,500 for 1965-66, and part of his declared income is an uncollected fee or “amount receivable” of P150,000 which is unrealized income.£A⩊phi£
In answer to the supplemental complaint, respondent denies the alleged nature of his connections with the mentioned enterprises and that said connections did not conflict with his official duties, as the alleged enterprises have not applied for registration with BOI.
A formal investigation of the charges was conducted by the Presidential Investigating Committee.
A careful examination of the records of the case shows that the evidence adduced is insufficient to substantiate the various charges against respondent. Moreover, respondent has satisfactorily explained the accusations against him.
Wherefore, Mr. Edgardo Tordesillas, vice-chairman of the Board of Investments, is hereby exonerated from the instant charges against him.
Done in the City of Manila, this 11th day of December, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-two.
(Sgd.) FERDINAND E. MARCOS
President of the Philippines
By the President:
(Sgd.) ALEJANDRO MELCHOR
Executive Secretary
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