NAMUMUNO na ang umano’y mga ‘barkada’ ni Pangulong Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., sa Maharlika Investment Corporation (MIC) na magpapatakbo sa Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) na may pondong P500 billion.

Ito ang basa ni dating Congressman Neri Colmenares kaya dinelay at inamyendahan ang Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) ng MIF upang masiguro na papasok ang mga barkada at crony ni Marcos Jr., kahit walang sapat na edukasyon at karanasan ang mga ito sa larangan ng investment.

“It is not unreasonable to suspect that the delay in the IRR promulgation, beyond the 90-day period required by the law, was mainly to insert provisions that will allow friendly directors and big business cronies to come into the Maharlika Corporation, further endangering the public funds contributed to the fund,” ani Colmenares.

Sa dating IRR aniya at maging sa batas, kailangang may sapat na edukasyon at karanasan ang itatalagang board of directors ng MIC, inalis na umano ang probisyong ito bukod sa binigyan pa ng kapangyarihan si Marcos na tanggihan ang rekomendasyon ng advisory body.

Dahil dito, naniniwala ang chairman ng Bayan Muna, na posibleng marami sa mga bakarda at crony ni Marcos Jr., ang hindi kuwalipikado na maging MIC board of directors, kaya inamyendahan ang orihinal na IRR.

“It is reasonable for people to suspect that Pres. Marcos amended the old IRR because he may have some trusted friends that did not qualify as directors under the old IRR, the reason why qualifications were laxed in the new IRR,” paliwanag pa ni Colmenares.

Bukod dito, ikinaalarma rin ng mambabatas ang bagong probisyon na wala aniya sa orihinal na batas, na obligahin ang lahat ng Government Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCC) at Government Financial Institutions (GFIs) na mag-ambag ng tig-P1,250,000,000 sa MIF.

“This opens up the possibility that a new law or an ‘appropriate body’ can order more public funds or GOCCs to fund the Maharlika corporation. Of course, a new law allowing the SSS and GSIS to contribute to Maharlika could always be passed later,” ayon pa kay Colmenares.

Sa ilalim ng MIF law o Republic Act (RA) 11954, tanging ang Land Bank of the Philippines at Development Bank of the Philippines ang maglalagak ng puhunan sa MIF subalit binago ito sa bagong IRR.

Nakababahala rin aniya ang kapangyarihang ibinigay sa MIC board of directors na nakasaad sa Section 8 ng IRR na nagsasabing “The MIC may compromise or release, in whole or in part, any claim of or settled liability to the MIC”.

“This means that the Maharlika Board has the power to condone liabilities of certain business interests to the MIC. This brings to mind the cronyism and behest loans to crony corporations in the previous administrations including Pres. Marcos’ father himself,” ayon pa kay Colmenares.

(BERNARD TAGUINOD)