Cesar Montano To Face Senate Probe For Alleged TPB Irregularities

Photo via Cesar D. Montano Facebook Page

Cesar Montano

After news broke out about the case filed against Cesar Montano by employees and staff of the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), the Senate has announced that it will be looking into the alleged irregularities.

The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee will conduct its own probe on the matter. A resolution filed by Senator Nancy Binay sets into motion the investigation, which will look into the list of complaints against Montano.

TPB Management Welcomes Probe

According to a report in Manila Times, Binay cited that the probe will aid the Senate in reviewing graft and corruption laws. It is also part of the Senate’s role to make sure that corrupt practices are addressed immediately.

On the other hand, the TPB management said they welcomed further investigation of COO Montano. In an official statement, they first acknowledged the complaint lodged by TPB employees. They added that because of the”gravity” of the charges, they “welcome the immediate investigation of the matter. It commits its full cooperation, guaranteeing transparency of the agency in the entire process.”

In related news, last March 10, over 100 TPB employees dressed in black held a silent “Black Friday” protest. According to a Business Mirror report, the employees stayed on after their flag retreat to say a prayer. They also took to social media and posted with the hashtag #TPBinBLACK. The act reportedly “served to formalize the complaint” they filed nine days before.

Cesar Montano Says Charges ‘Baseless’

Speaking up about the complaint, Montano denied the allegations on Monday. According to an official statement, he said that it was not known who the “TPB employees” were and that no evidence has been presented to support their allegations. He said, “The allegations made against the Office of the COO, through a complaint filed anonymously, are baseless and untrue.”

One of the companies listed in the complaints, Viva Communications, spoke up about the PhP 12 million sponsorship of the JaDine tour. They admitted having submitted a proposal but that no binding agreement has been done, as reported in Malaya.