John Hay firm says cases are fund waste

MANILA, Philippines—The firm developing the former US rest and recreation base Camp John Hay in Baguio City issued a statement Thursday questioning the motive and funding of a government agency in a string of cases and what it said was a media campaign that pictured the company as evil.

In a statement, Manuel Ubarra, spokesman of Camp John Hay Development Corp. (CJHDevco) said that since 2010, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) has filed five cases and launched a media offensive against CJHDevco, resulting in libel cases against the government agency and some media firms.

Ubarra cited one case filed against CJHDevco for squatting that turned out to be false. CJHDevco security guards accused of squatting on BCDA property turned out to be within the 274-hectare area leased to the company.

Another case of false charges that Ubarra cited is the case filed against CJHDevco for the “double sale” of a condominium unit in Camp John Hay.