Thursday, October 23, 2008 City poised to take over port management from Bredco
COUNCILOR Dindo Ramos said Bacolod City will be taking over the operation of the Bacolod Real Estate Development Corporation (Bredco) port considering that there's no legal impediment to the move.
He said an ordinance authorizing the takeover was approved and signed by the mayor and there's no temporary restraining order (TRO) or injunction against it.
Ramos said the ordinance was due for implementation upon its approval. "Its implementation can only be stalled if there is a case filed and a TRO issued by the court. But there's no injunction or TRO issued; it means the mayor can implement the ordinance."
He said: "We're just waiting for the executive branch to implement the ordinance. The takeover task force needs to wait before the actual implementation of the ordinance."
Councilor Greg Gasataya said the ordinance to take over the port could also be implemented, adding they are waiting for the recommendation of the task force and members of the City Council who are in the task force "so that we will be briefed on what will be the direction to take."
City Legal officer Allan Zamora is the chairman of the task force and is said to be also waiting for a decision from the court.
Last January, Leonardia approved Ordinance 454 tasking the city to take over the port operations and the development of the 61-hectare city property at the 180-hectare reclamation area.
But the Bredco management filed a civil case asking a local court to nullify the ordinance and award Bredco the ownership and possession of the port.
Meanwhile, Ramos said that "based on our talks and the proposal made by the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), it's easy to implement the takeover considering that the framework and structure are ready."
But Leonardia said "it would be for the best that whatever plans or strategies we have about the matter, we keep to ourselves in the meantime so that we will have a better way of implementing" them. (Merlinda Pedrosa)
