Saturday, January 26, 2008 Too much, says mayor of P20M damage suit
BACOLOD Mayor Evelio Leonardia has found very excessive the P20 million damage suit filed by Bredco (Bacolod Real Estate Development Corporation) against him and eight others city officials in relation to the controversial port takeover ordinance.
Former vice mayor and now Bredco lead counsel Renecito Novero Jr., however, said Bredco president Simplicio Palanca had already agreed to lower the damage claim in a commulative computation to only P20 million all-in-all.
But in the original plan and as stipulated in the complaint sheet of a civil case it filed against city officials, Bredco is seeking a total of P42 million, P25 million for moral damages, P5 million for exemplary damages, P5 million attorney's fees, plus P5,000 for every appearance in court and another P2 million as refund for the actual expenses incurred by plaintiff at the filing of the complaint.
Named defendants in the civil case filed by Bredco were Leonardia, Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson, and Councilors Al Victor Espino, Greg Gasataya, Homer Bais, Dindo Ramos, Kevin Ramos, Celia Flor, and Roberto Rojas.
Dindo, Bais, and Espino said the filing of a case against them will vindicate them for they will be given now a chance to defend themselves in court.
Dindo remains unfazed by the civil case. He said he's ready to defend himself in court. He's not also worried about his son, Kevin, who is still a high school student. Kevin was included in the case as he is also a councilor representing the Sangguniang Kabataan Federation in Bacolod.
"I know he can defend himself too which is why he voted for the passage of the City Ordinance 454 otherwise known as The Port Takeover Ordinance," said Dindo, a proponent of the controversial ordinance.
Palanca, however, said that if city officials don't want a case but want Bredco to vacate the port as soon as possible, then they should pay him P2 billion.
"This P2 billion will serve as the City's refund to Bredco's total expenses in developing a reclamation area and building a port within," Palanca said.
Palanca is willing to move out of Bacolod and transfer all his investments to Silay City.
But since there's now a case in court, Palanca said, "I want the court to decide on the port takeover issue. I want to clear my name and that of Bredco."
"I have with me the contract - the Comprehensive Revised Reclamation Agreement (CRRA) - and I know that I never violated any of the provision here," stressed Palanca, the real estate mogul in Bacolod.
Out of disgust, Palanca has said that he wants all the pro-takeover ordinance officials to rot in jail.
Meanwhile, Leonardia also stressed the action of Novero in accepting the job to be the lead counsel of Bredco against him and eight other officials has not destroyed their friendship.
"We're still friends and will remain as friends," Leonardia said refering to Novero, adding he won't allow the case to ruin their friendship.
Asked for his reaction, Novero simply replied, "Nothing personal or political but purely legal and professional." (EASD)
