Garcia: Capitol to file motion on court order

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia yesterday said the province is set to file a motion for reconsideration over a court ruling ordering it to pay the contractor P263 million for the additional work on the Cebu International Convention Center.    

Garcia contended that the amount to be paid to the WT Construction should be below what was ordered by the court.  

“So we are filing a motion for reconsideration. Instead of P263 million as actually granted per evaluating (by Capitol technical staff), the amount should be P257million,” said Garcia.

She also confirmed that she received the recommendation from the Provincial Legal Office showing that the amount was lower than what was granted by the court.

“I would like to put on record (that) as I had always stated that there‘d may be additional cost for the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC), but even at P800 million plus…we are not getting this own standard (but) guided by the Book on Construction Industry,” she said.

Likewise, the governor said the CICC continues to earn revenues.

However, she did not comment on Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña’s statement that scrap iron was use on the construction of CICC.

“I will just allow my consultant to answer that in difference to his very miserable state right now of health and appearance,” Garcia said.

Capitol consultant lawyer Rory Jon Sepulveda said the issue raised by Osmeña was a recycle one.

“It was his relative who raised this issue,” Sepulveda said. Still, he said they were thankful to the mayor for “showing his concern to the province to cut cost.”

Meanwhile, Provincial Attorney Marino Martinquilla said they would abide by the court order.

Martinquilla said under the law, they still have 15 days to study the court ruling and submit their reply within the given period.

He said the governor has already instructed the technical working group to evaluate the claim of WT Construction.

He also confirmed that the Capitol submitted an evaluation report to court last March 26, saying that P263 million is the “true value of additional works.”

Engineer Adolfo Quiroga, coordinator of the Provincial Planning and Development Office, said they could not yet release the document on CICC’s construction since they still have to submit it first to the court.

“Capitol will attach the above evaluation report in their counter-reply to the court,” Quiroga said.

Nevertheless, he said the amount claimed by the contractor is lower by millions than the amount contained in the court’s decision.

Engineers from WT Construction and the Capitol would be conducted the evaluation, he said.

Provincial Board Member Weng Gakit said they would likely to grant the claim of the contractor.

However, he said they have yet to receive a copy of the court order that stipulated the exact amount. — Johanna T. Natavio/LPM (THE FREEMAN)