TO PAY OR NOT TO PAY?

Davide, allies to meet on Supreme Court ruling on P257M bill to CICC works

Will the provincial government yield to a Supreme Court ruling that required the province to pay P257.41 million to a contractor that completed additional work on the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC)?

Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III will meet with department heads and Provincial Board (PB) allies today to decide on this issue, Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale said last Saturday.

BOOMERANGED. This was how former and now Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia of Cebu’s 3rd district reacted to the message “Never Again” that was prominently displayed at the dilapidated Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) and which Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III refused to remove. (CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO)

“Among suta-on pila tanan ang nabayran sa CICC, pilay ipapuno sa korte, kay murag moabot og P1 billion. Kanang maong kaso, iya (former governor and now Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia of Cebu’s 3rd district) pa man nang time. Di man na amo ni Gov. Davide nga kiha (We will check how much was paid on the CICC, how much will the court require the province to pay because it may reach P1 billion. That case was in former governor Gwen Garcia’s time. That’s not a case filed against the governor and myself),” the vice governor said.

Magpale said they will issue a statement on the SC ruling today. Garcia, who faced graft charges on allegations of overpricing in the construction of the CICC at the Ombudsman, earlier said the governor is not above the SC ruling.

The SC ruling affirmed a Court of Appeals’ decision that in turn upheld a May 10, 2009 decision by Judge Ester Veloso of the Cebu City Regional Trial Court, ordering the provincial government to pay WT Construction P257.41 million for the site development and structural works for the CICC.

Damage

Judge Veloso said an “oral agreement was perfected” between the provincial government and WT Construction for the additional works on the CICC.

The structure was completed ahead of the 2007 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit.

In his final State of the Province Address last August, Governor Davide reiterated his stance against the payment to WT Construction.

In his address, the governor said the CICC, which sustained heavy damage during the October 15, 2013 earthquake, was a mistake that he inherited from the previous Garcia administration.

Provincial Legal Officer Orvi Ortega said they will most likely file a motion for reconsideration before the High Tribunal.

Pleading

“We are still waiting for our official copy of the reported Decision of the Supreme Court. Once received, the Provincial Legal Office will assess it and we reserve the right to file a motion for reconsideration or any other appropriate pleading to that effect,” Ortega said in his message.

The CICC also drew attention from passersby due to the presence of a banner bearing the message “Never Again” hung into the front of the building.

Governor Davide said he didn’t know who placed the streamer and added that he has no plans of removing it.

“At any rate, judging from the flak that this ‘Never Again’ banner has been getting, I guess we could say that this ill-advised, poorly-conceived political ploy has boomeranged on Davide. Sa Binisaya pa, ‘naunay sa kaugalingong tari’ (In Visayan, it means he was hurt by his own gaff),” Garcia said.

“Perhaps it means never again to persons responsible for the CICC’s inexcusable neglect,” she added.

Garcia earlier chided Davide for failing to rebuild the CICC, saying it was “evidence” of his administration’s neglect.

Provincial Board (PB) Member Arleigh Sitoy, who left the administration Liberal Party (LP) Cebu chapter chaired by Davide, said the banner was a form of black propaganda against One Cebu’s Winston Garcia who will run against Davide in next year’s elections.

Sitoy, who is now with the PDP-Laban camp, voiced support for Garcia’s gubernatorial bid.

Governor Davide, who said his administration won’t spend a single centavo for repairs of the CICC, is lobbying for the national government through the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to take over its rehabilitation and management.

Davide earlier voiced support to Pres. Benigno Aquino III’s suggestion that the CICC be converted into a trade exhibition center for local businesses in Mandaue City and other nearby areas.