Filipino-American activists, led by the US Pinoys for Good Governance, have called for the boycott of oil giant Chevron Corporation over the sale of Chevron Malampaya’s 45% share in the Malampaya gas-to-power project to Dennis Uy’s Udenna Corporation.
Based on an ABS-CBN report, the activist group led by Rodel Rodis protested in front of Chevron’s headquarters in San Ramon, California.
Rodis, one of the Fil-Ams who filed a complaint against Chevron before the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (US SEC), said the multinational oil giant entered into a “secret agreement” while Udenna set up a corporation in Singapore.
He added that Chevron lied in its filing before the US SEC in March 2020, wherein it disclosed that it sold its Malampaya interest to Udenna for $565 million.
Rodis claims that of the $565 million, $160 million should have come from the Philippine government. Chevron, he said, transferred the money that was owed by the government and gave it to Uy for him to use as part of the purchase of Malampaya shares.
Together with fellow Fil-Am Loida Nicolas Lewis – who also filed the complaint against Chevron in the US – Rodis filed graft charges against Uy and Energy Sec. Alfonso Cusi before the Office of the Ombudsman in the Philippines last year.
The Senate has also recommended the filing of charges against Cusi and other current and former Energy officials before the Ombudsman and the Civil Service Commission for “railroading” the sale of Chevron’s stake to Udenna.
Senate energy committee chairman Sherwin Gatchalian has describes the Chevron-Udenna deal as “lutong Macau” and “invalid,” as it violated the provisions of Presidential Decree 87 or the Oil Exploration and Development Act of 1972.
