Benitez: Let’s wait for court decision

THIRD district Representative Albee Benitez said he will wait for the Regional Trial Court’s (RTC) decision on the land deal of the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental and Ayala Land, Inc. (ALI).

"Let the process push through on who is really deserving to get the contract for the project because there is still a court case," Benitez said when asked for his reaction about the Commission on Audit’s (COA) approval of the Deed of Conditional Sale involving a 7.7-hectare prime property of the Capitol between the Negros Occidental Provincial Government and ALI.

ALI disengaged from its project in the said Capitol properties because of the delay of the COA’s approval.

Benitez, who is a family friend of the Sy family that owns SM, accompanied Hans Sy of SM Prime Holdings Inc. (SMPHI) during a meeting with Governor Alfredo Marañon at his office, where the company signified its interest in putting up its investment on the Capitol properties.

When asked if SMPHI would settle for Marañon’s idea in dividing the Capitol property between SMPHI and ALI, Benitez said that SMPHI’s intention is to pursue the case against the Provincial Government on the basis that SMPHI won in the July 7, 2011 bidding after tendering a higher bid than ALI.

During the resumption of the hearing Friday, SMPHI was represented by lawyer Joseph Albajera in behalf of lawyer Vince Patrick Bayhon. The cross examination of the prosecution on the witness, Merlita Caellan, head of the Provincial Assessor's Office, continued.

SM refused to comment on the approval of COA's central office of the Capitol-ALI deal.