PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco on Wednesday firmly rejected claims that his family’s construction company, Nationstar Development Corporation, benefited from political connections or improper influence in securing government projects.
Tengco stressed that his role in PAGCOR has no bearing on the awarding of public works contracts and that he holds no financial stake in Nationstar after fully divesting upon assuming his post in 2022. He added that he began transferring his shares to his children as early as 2019.
“Under RA 3019 and RA 6713, conflict of interest occurs only when a public official has a financial interest in a transaction where he must intervene in his official capacity,” Tengco said. “My position at PAGCOR has no direct or indirect influence over DPWH or any public works bidding. I have no role in these processes.”
He also denied insinuations that Nationstar’s government contracts were linked to his personal ties with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his family.
Tengco cited Nationstar’s long track record, noting he entered the construction industry in 1996 and founded the company in 2015. Nationstar, he said, has completed projects for both government agencies and private institutions across multiple administrations.
He pointed to retrofit and fit-out works during the Aquino and Duterte administrations at Malacañang’s premier guest house and the Presidential Management Staff building, which helped build the company’s reputation and competitiveness. During the pandemic, Nationstar was also contracted to build modular hospitals nationwide.
In recent years, the company finished private-sector projects such as Ateneo de Manila’s Senior High School building and retrofitting works for Meralco’s headquarters. These, Tengco said, clearly demonstrate the firm’s ability to meet the rigorous requirements of major public and private clients, including the Western Visayas State University project that critics flagged.
Tengco emphasized that none of Nationstar’s DPWH contracts involve flood control or alleged “ghost projects,” underscoring what he described as the firm’s clean record.
He further clarified that the Davao City bypass project referenced in an online report was undertaken by a consortium, not by Nationstar alone. “The project was too large for any single local firm. We joined a consortium led by China Road and Bridges Corporation, which collectively won the bid.”
Tengco said attempts to frame the issue around his personal relationships ignore the company’s decades-long operational history. “Singling out my ties to the Marcos family is selective and misleading. Nationstar continues to engage in legitimate business activities without regard to partisan politics,” he said.
He added that if there are gaps in conflict-of-interest laws, it is up to Congress to determine appropriate reforms.