- Cesar Montano faces corruption complaints.
- Cesar Montano to be sacked by new DOT Secretary.
Action-star and Tourism Promotions Board Chief Cesar Montano is facing several allegations of corruption.
After the change of leadership at the Department of Tourism, newly appointed Secretary Bernadeth Romulo-Puyat immediately suspends Montano’s “Buhay Carinderia” project after being flagged by the Commission on Audit for questionable implementation.
According to the COA report, TPB already paid in full, 80Php million for the project even though it hasn’t been finished or fully implemented.
Romulo-Puyat was reported to have talked to Montano privately to discussed another controversy hounding the actor.
Montano was also accused of rushing his speech at the Philippine Tourism Presentation and Dinner Reception in New York on May 9 apparently to watch the popular Broadway musical “Hamilton”.
Aside from that, Montano was also subject to a complaint filed by TPB employees to the Presidential Action Center.
Last March 2017, TPB employees accused Montano of mismanaging TPB and possible corruption.
In the complaint, TPB employees alleged Montano of entering into contracts with producers to hold concerts and events where he was one of the performers. It includes the 11.2Php million contract with Carat Philippines where he and his nieces are guest performers. It includes the 16.5Php million sponsorship deal with Carat Philippines for the February 25 Luneta rally wherein he was also a performer. And the 12Php million sponsorship for JaDine’s US and UAE concerts.
The complaint accused Montano of nepotism after hiring friends and relatives as his consultants and staff.
“We are submitting this document to the PACE to formalize what we have observed, as we have personally witnessed the acts [and] conducts he exhibited on his unbecoming behavior as a government official,” the complainants wrote.
