Garcia tells Davide anew: Prevent more losses, stop resource center project

The lawyers of Governor-elect Gwendolyn Garcia hand in the letter requesting outgoing Governor Hilario Davide III to stop the construction of the 20-storey resource center project. | Rosalie O. Abatayo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — To “further stop economic losses” in the Capitol’s treasury, the camp of Governor-elect Gwendolyn Garcia has asked the outgoing administration to stop the construction of the 20-storey resource center anew.

Lawyer Frank Eduard Dinsay V, a member of Garcia’s transition team, said continuing the civil works for the project would only result in more losses as they stood firm that Garcia would not pursue the project when she would assume office on June 30.

“It’s not part of Governor Gwen’s program of government once she assumes office. She’s relaying again to Governor Davide that once she assumes office, she will immediately discontinue the project,” Dinsay said.

Dinsay and other lawyers Manolette Dinsay and Marino Martinquilla, visited the Office of the Governor on Monday morning, June 3, to formally hand in Garcia’s letter to Davide stating her request to stop the construction.

Davide, however, was not in his office when Garcia’s lawyers came as he was out on official business. 

The letter was received by his staff at 10 a.m.

Read more: Davide on fate of resource center: Let the courts decide

In earlier interviews, Davide maintained that it would now be up to the court to decide on the fate of the resource center project.

Garcia’s camp filed on the last week of March this year a petition for the issuance of an injunction against the construction of the resource center.

“The case in the Toledo City RTC is ongoing. What we are trying to avoid here is for Governor Davide or the other people to say later on that the project has already incurred a lot of costs to be stopped,” Dinsay said.

He added that further civil works would also mean higher costs to revert the development in the construction site to its original state.

“She would stop [the project] and she would even spend money to return it back to its original state. So,  kung imong ipadayon ang excavation man gud, which karon is already very deep and when Governor Gwen sits, she would need to incur additional  expenses to recover it back to its original state,” Dinsay explained.

Aside from Davide, Garcia’s team also set a letter to WT Construction, the contractor of the P1.3-billion resource center, to stop the development./dbs