Ombudsman gives go signal for CICC repair

The CICC has not been repaired since it sustained major damage from the powerful October 2013 earthquake. (CDN PHOTO/ LITO TECSON)

THE Office of the Ombudsman has green-lighted plans to rehabilitate the  idle  Cebu International Convention Center (CICC), which is the subject of a pending graft case.

“There exists no legal impediment for Cebu Province, Mandaue City, and DTI to rehabilitate CICC, a facility presently the subject of cases filed with the Office of the Ombudsman,” Deputy

Ombudsman for the Visayas Paul Elmer Clemente wrote in a letter to Gov. Hilario Davide III on July 20.

Clemente said the provincial government is free to fix the facility, subject to the provisions of applicable laws, including securing the necessary authorities from local legislative bodies and national agencies.

Last July 6, Governor Davide asked permission from the Office of the Ombudsman to allow the rehabilitation of CICC.

He also asked for the inspection and documentation of the facility for evidential purposes.

The P800-million CICC was badly damaged by the 7.2-magnitude earthquake in October 2013 and Supertyphoon Yolanda in the same year, rendering it inoperative.

Recently, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) expressed interest in repairing the center  and transforming it into a Center for Industry and Trade Exposition (CITEX).

The facility is the subject of two graft cases filed against former Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, one of which is for overpricing, before the Ombudsman.

Criminal and disciplinary charges were filed against various Capitol officials and employees in connection with the alleged anomalous construction of the facility.

“The fact that CICC is the subject of litigation for violation of anti-corruption laws before the Office should not, in any way, impede any legitimate developmental program…to be run by concerned local government units and/or national government agencies for the welfare of the people,” said Clemente.

The Office also suggested that before  undertaking of any repair or rehabilitation,  a joint team of the Ombudsman Visayas and the Cebu Province be formed.

Clemente said the team would conduct an ocular inspection of the facility, to verify, test or validate technical and engineering aspects of the project, if needed, and to fully document its results.

Earlier this week, Garcia hit Davide for failing to rehabilitate CICC.

But Davide said the repair of the facility has never been a priority for the present administration and that it was also the subject of a case.

Davide said that instead of blaming him for ¨failing¨ to protect one of the thousands of province-owned properties, Garcia should not have squandered Capitol funds on anomalous projects.

Even with this recent development, Davide said CICC will not be fixed overnight.

In a separate interview, the governor said the repairs will still go through a process.

“The budget for repairs will have to be included in next year´s national budget. It will not happen overnight,” he said.