Climaco calls for ouster of Zamboanga economic zone chairman

Zamboanga Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco calls on President Rodrigo Duterte to suspend or remove Zambo Ecozone chairman and administrator Raul Regondola due to 'compelling evidence' of wrongdoing

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Zamboanga Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco on Monday, April 4, called for the ouster of the head of the Zamboanga City Special Economic Freeport Zone Authority for alleged incompetence and abuses in the Zamboanga Peninsula region’s lone economic and trade hub.

She also asked President Rodrigo Duterte to immediately suspend or remove Zambo Ecozone chairman and administrator Raul Regondola because “there is compelling evidence” that the official “continues to commit acts outside his scope of authority” against rank-and-file employees and the companies operating within the economic zone.

Climaco, who sits as an ex-officio member of the Zambo Ecozone’s board, said she has lost her trust and confidence in Regondola based on the evidence against the official.

The pieces of evidence, she said, pointed to “numerous acts tantamount to grave misconduct, gross incompetence, oppression, discourtesy in the course of official duties, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of service, and gross neglect of duty.”

Climaco said the complaints were made by Zamboanga Ecozone employees, locator companies, and families with land ownership claims in the special economic zone.

The Philippine Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) has started an investigation into complaints about alleged irregularities in the Zamboanga Ecozone under Regondola’s watch.

One of the complaints was that the Zamboanga Ecozone compelled its employees, and the locator companies’ executives and workers to pay P1,000 each for identification cards, something that was allegedly done without the approval of the board.

Climaco said Regondola proposed the ID policy to the Zambo Ecozone’s board in early 2021, but she found out that it was already turned into a requirement as early as 2020.

She said some receipts showed that collections were already made in exchange for the Zambo EcoZone’s identification cards.

The Zamboanga EcoZone or Zamboanga Freeport Authority is a government-owned and -controlled corporation that oversees the only economic hub in the Zamboanga Peninsula region. It was created to give trade, investments, and ecology tourism a boost not only in Zamboanga City but throughout Western Mindanao. 

Presently, at least 15 locator companies are operating in the special economic zone in Zamboanga City with an estimated combined workforce of at least 800 people, excluding employees of the Authority.

Climaco also said there were also complaints about the illegal dismissal of Zambo Ecozone workers and mishandling of land ownership claims by early settlers in the 15,600-hectare economic hub.

Climaco said there is a pending case filed by several families claiming ownership of some areas, but Regondola ordered clearing operations, cutting over a hundred trees, and destroying farms in places claimed to be part of ancestral lands.

“As the city mayor and an ex-officio director of the Zambo Ecozone, I really request and still pray that the PACC fact-finding investigation team would carefully review the evidence we have presented. Zambo Ecozone officers and staff are concerned about the improper activities that involve no less than the management of the chairman and administrator,” Climaco said.

Rappler tried to get Regondolo’s comments but he declined to be interviewed, saying he had important engagements to attend to. He said he would issue a statement soon. – Rappler.com

Frencie Carreon is a Mindanao-based journalist and an awardee of the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship