P350M loan for market bldg: Talisay’s Alayon bloc: JVR should blame self

CEBU, Philippines - The members of the ruling party in Talisay City yesterday said it is Mayor Johnny De los Reyes who should be blamed for his administration’s failure to materialize the construction of the new Tabunok public market building.

In a press conference called by the majority Alayon councilors yesterday morning, City Council’s Majority Floor Leader Richard Francis Aznar said De los Reyes should blame himself why the council did not give him authority to enter into loan agreement with the Development Bank of the Philippines.

“What we are asking is the feasibility study. Ang feasibility study, wala pa nahuman, giusab-usab, dili pa gyud tukma,” Aznar said.

Aznar said the feasibility study that was submitted before the council committee was different to what was initially planned. He said the feasibility study that was presented to the council was already a two-story building instead of a three-story structure.

Doroteo Emit also said the design was not properly presented.

“Ang design, wa pa matukma, aron mapatukma sab ang igo nga expenses sa new three storey market,” Emit said.

Former mayor now Councilor Socrates Fernandez said local legislators are willing to go back to the negotiating table with the executive department as long as De los Reyes is willing to follow what they have previously agreed in reducing the P350-million amount of the loan.

“Ang utangon sa mayor nga P350 milion dako ra. Ang atong binuwan nga amortization kapin kun kulang P4 ka milyon,” Fernandez said, adding that the city market is only earning P600,000 monthly income.

Fernandez insisted that if the mayor agrees with the P50- or P60-million construction cost for the market, there would have been no problem.

“Talisaynon, ang grupo ni JVR nga nagdamgo sa dakong income sa bag-ong three-story market, usa ka panganud nga dali rang ibanlas sa hangin sa kapakyas. Ayaw pagpangahas paggasto nga labaw sa tinuod mong kinitaan,” the Alayon statement read.

After last Tuesday’s regular session which scrapped the resolution authorizing the mayor to loan for the market bulding construction, De los Reyes criticized the Alayon party for killing the measure.

There are 11 members of the council, seven of them are with the Alayon. They are Aznar, Emit, Fernandez, Edward Alesna, Antonio Bacaltos, Raul Cabañero and Eduardo “Digul” Gullas III. Four members of the City Council belong to the De los Reyes camp.  — Garry B. Lao/JRS (FREEMAN)