The John Hay Management Corporation (JHMC) management said that the graft charges filed against its former chairman by alleged whistleblower, Frank L. Daytec Jr., was a pre-emptive move.

Asuncion Balingit-Santos, executive vice-president of JHMC, said that Daytec Jr, the operations manager of JHMC, is under investigation for theft, drunkenness in the workplace, and misuse of government property.

“This has motivated his action,” Santos said. “The complaint was a pre-emptive move.”

Daytec submitted a sworn statement to the Department of Justice against Maria Christina Corona, former chair of JHMC, accusing her of dipping into public funds for personal use. Daytec also implicated Chief Justice Renato Corona of the same charge.

Daytec alleged that Mrs. Corona charged at least P100,000 of her and her family’s expenses for a three-year period (2008-2010) at the Baguio Country Club to the JHMC.

“Former chairman Corona has paid her official business expenses using her personal credit card.  She has all the original receipts to prove these. In fact, to date, JHMC has yet to issue payment for all reimbursable expenses,” Santos.

According to Santos, it was JHMC who owes Corona.

“Former chairman Corona never incurred any COA disallowance because all expenses incurred by her for JHMC are legitimate and authorized under the law,” she added.

“No disallowances and adverse audit observations for inefficient use of government resources for 2008 and 2009 were issued by the Commission on Audit due to management’s stringent compliance to auditing rules and regulations.  This clean bill of health from the COA never happened in past managements,” Santos added.

She also said that Daytec should not have washed his dirty linen in public because his allegations are corporate affairs exclusively under JHMC and had nothing to do with the office of the Supreme Court.

“The board, management, and staff members of JHMC firmly stand by the side of former chairman Corona, whose many solid accomplishments had given the company, its employees, and the people of Baguio numerous benefits in tourism and business opportunities including job creation,” Santos added.

Daytec has reportedly left for Canada with his family.