Council asks Ramato demolish batching plant at NRA

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Council is requesting Mayor Michael Rama to direct W.T Construction Inc. to demolish its batching plant in Block 27, North Reclamation Area within 15 days from receipt of a copy of the resolution.

City Councilor Sisinio Andales in his approved resolution stated that the occupancy of the said firm in the area is disadvantageous to the city government.

“The occupancy of Block 27 by W.T Construction Inc. is disadvantageous to the city government considering that the occupancy is free without any monetary consideration or rental during its occupancy,” Andales said.

In an executive session last week, the City Council questioned the City Legal Office and the W.T Construction Inc. about the batching plant.

Last year, the company asked Rama to allow it to put the batching plant in the area for the project of the Department of Public Works and Highways   called “Rehabilitation of Serging Osmeña Boulevard Port Corridor Cebu City.”

Andales said Rama has targeted to collect P5 billion from taxes but the city government allowed the company to occupy a government-owned lot freely.

“We pitied Ma’am Diwa (Cuevas, City treasurer) who tried herself to collect every centavo from taxes in order to meet the P5 billion as the mandate of the Office of the Mayor and yet here is the batching plant without paying any rental to the city government,” he said.

He said this is a challenge for the Ombudsman and the Commission on Audit to tackle.

“This is a challenge on the part of the Ombudsman, a challenge of the part of the COA to look into this matter because we don’t want these irregularities will continue,” he added.

The council also questioned why there was no written approval from Rama on the matter, something that the company’s representative, lawyer Alora Mae Tambasen, confirmed. Rama approved the same verbally during the Joint-Conference last March 2014.

Rama, however, said subsequently that he could not remember consenting to the proposal albeit there was a discussion on the matter.

“I can’t remember agreeing (to the proposal of the company and the DPWH). But there were discussions about that,” he said earlier.

He said allowing them to occupy the lot freely for the batching plant helps the firm and DPWH finish the project immediately. He assured that the batching plant will be removed from the area once the project is completed.

“Ini’g kahuman ana, ihawa nana simple ana,” Rama added.

The batching plant was placed in the area in first quarter of last year. Based on its letter to Rama, the company said it intends to utilize the lot for less than a year.  The contract costs P289 million. — (FREEMAN)