MMDA chief accused of pocketing P1.1-M from filmfest
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 05/11/2009 8:44 PM
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Opposition Sen. Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada on Monday accused Bayani Fernando, chairman of the Metro Manila Development Authority, of pocketing at least P1.1 million in proceeds from the Metro Manila Film Festival, which is being managed by his agency.
In a privilege speech titled "Katas ng MMFF", a play on the senator's movie "Katas ng Saudi that competed in the 2007 MMFF, Estrada said he received disbursement vouchers and other documents showing how MMFF funds have been "mismanaged."
Among the documents, Estrada said, were two cheques for P500,000, and one cheque for P100,000 "detailed as cash gifts for Chairman Fernando for his birthday" in the years 2003, 2005, and 2006.
Quoting from the documents, Estrada said the "cash gifts" were deducted from the shares of three MMFF beneficiaries.
Estrada also lamented that over the years the shares of Mowelfund, a welfare fund for workers in the motion picture industry put up by former president Joseph Estrada as well as other industry beneficiaries, have shrunk despite the fact that the MMFF's proceeds have gone up.
He said this could only be a result of fernando's "mismanagement."
Estrada reiterated his and other industry workers' call to transfer the administration of the MMFF to members of the entertainment industry, such as Mowelfund.
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