‘It’s far from the truth,’ says NSC liquidator team member

By Nora Sorino
Iligan City Bureau Chief .

National Steel Corporation liquidator team member has rejected Monday the latest news reports came out on the reported “agreed” negotiation by the investors and the city government of Iligan about the coming operations of the NSC.

“It’s far from the truth,” said Simplicio Villarta, Jr., a member of the NSC liquidating team.

“We are not aware of such development,” he added.

Earlier, acting Iligan City mayor Jemar Vera Cruz, in his speech during the Independence Day celebration, said that the liquidator, prospective investor and the city government have agreed to go to the negotiating table and talk about the coming operations of the NSC.

Vera Cruz did not give any details but he reiterated again during the speech at the “Adlaw sa Iligan,” on June 16.

“There is no ‘dawning’ of such ‘operations,’ Villarta said.

The liquidation team, to note, is headed by Atty. Danilo Conception who is in Manila, while Villarta is in this city.

The city, to note, is at loggerheads with the liquidation team as they battle for the ownership of the shuttered steel manufacturing plant.

Iligan city representative Frederick Siao said that he is glad of such development, if that is really true as this will surely benefit the people here.

NSC, to recall, employed around 4,000 people here during its heyday until it closed down in 1999 as it collapsed under the weight of its own debts from ten banks led by the Philippine National Bank.

It was then placed under receivership under a liquidator headed by Concepcion.