MANILA, Philippines - “Totally baseless and utterly ridiculous” was how Senate President Franklin Drilon described allegations by a former Iloilo provincial official that there was overpricing in the construction of the Iloilo Convention Center from which the senator and other officials had profited.
Drilon said former provincial administrator Manuel Mejorada Jr. had an ax to grind against him. Mejorada was reportedly fired from Drilon’s staff for misusing the senator’s social media accounts to attack certain politicians.
“I know he has been harboring hatred against me for firing him and for not giving in to his request to endorse him to several government posts,” Drilon said.
“He has no credibility, and this latest tirade proves exactly my point. It is unfair for Mejorada to taint the project with his personal vendetta against me,” the Senate president said.
Drilon expressed confidence the ombudsman will “see through Mejorada’s lies, and that this travesty will be resolved in favor of the truth.”
Mejorada, Drilon said, “has no direct information and knowledge on the project. All he has are flawed data and wrong assumptions.”
Drilon said the building is set to be finished by March 2015 at a cost of around P700 million.
“If we accept Mejorada’s claim that the project is overpriced by P488 million, we will be left with a mere P212 million to construct an 11,693.79-sqm convention center,” he said.
Using Mejorada’s calculations, Drilon said the ICC would then have to be built at a cost of P18,129.28 per square meter.
Drilon said that is an “impossibly low amount” for a modern structure that aims to draw local and international guests for large-scale conventions and other important events.
“There is no overprice. The ICC costs P63,893.11 per sqm, not P106,226 per sqm which he claims. The building is 28 meters high and designed without any columns but with long span beams and glass curtain walls,” he added.
Drilon maintained that the ICC thoroughly followed all standard requirements in bidding, and the project was bid out under the supervision of Singson, who is widely known for his integrity.
The construction of a state-of-the-art convention center is part of a campaign to improve Iloilo’s capacity to host and accommodate international event, including the 2015 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) ministerial meetings.
“Moreover, not only will the construction of the ICC complement Iloilo City’s social development programs, it will likewise spur economic activities and provide jobs throughout the province,” Drilon said.