Palace exec cautions Senate vs moving to halt Hanjin ops

MANILA, Philippines - A Malacañang official on Monday cautioned senators against moves to halt the operations of Korean-firm Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction, saying it would affect the country's image as a business destination. In a press briefing Wednesday, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said that while the government is concerned with the safety of Filipino workers, it is also taking into consideration the importance of foreign investments. "We are not saying that this should not be investigated, but maybe we should look at this in a context that attracting foreign investors is one of the major efforts of our government because that is very important to our economy," he said. Senate Pro Tempore Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada had earlier said he would recommend for the temporary suspension of Hanjin’s operations after a Senate investigation found neglect on the part of the Korean firm that resulted in the deaths of 19 of its workers. Estrada is the chairman of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment, and Human Resources Development, which is probing the increasing number of accidents inside the Hanjin shipyard in Subic Freeport. Remonde said the Senate should not “overreact" over the issue as it would affect the country’s image as a business destination. "Ang sa akin lang [for me], let us not overreact because of these things, we will ask for the closure of these companies," he said. Remonde noted that the Korean Embassy in the Philippines had warned the government about the possible repercussions of the Senate investigation on Hanjin. The Palace official said that with 10,000 hired workers, Hanjin is one of the biggest investors in the country. The company is also set to invest $2 billion dollar in Misamis Oriental which he said would be helpful in developing the countryside. "Because of that I think it is important that we should treat our foreign investors fairly so that we can attract more of them," Remonde said. - GMANews.TV