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Thursday, March 13, 2003
Contractors risk blacklisting by CH
By Jasmin G. Suma-oy
THE Cebu City Council yesterday warned it will blacklist contractors that violate rules in diggings, even as it considered filing a damage suit against a contractor that destroyed the cables of Citom’s computerized traffic signal system.
Also during the regular session yesterday, the council directed the committee on telecommunication, the technical infrastructure committee (TIC) and the City Attorney’s Office to investigate the incident last March 9.
Councilors want to know from these three bodies what legal remedies the City can take for damages, the cost of the affected traffic equipment and the inconvenience the public had to bear.
The business sector, through the committee on business and the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, will be asked to submit their estimates of the cost of damage to their enterprise created by the problem.
From now on, contractors will be required to publish in the newspapers an advisory on their digging operations, so the public will be guided.
Discussions after Councilor Nestor Archival’s privilege speech yesterday prompted the council to review the ordinance creating the TIC, which is supposed to monitor and coordinate the operations of utilities in the city.
Improvements
Upon the suggestion of Councilor Gabriel Leyson, the council will request the National Government’s office in charge of traffic to seek funding from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation for improvements in the city’s traffic system.
Leyson pointed out that even if the damaged traffic system is repaired, it can no longer be restored to its original condition.
The council approved Archival’s proposed resolution urging PLDT and Globe to coordinate closely for the immediate repair and restoration of the damaged cable lines, including the traffic line system of Citom.
Both companies promised during a meeting earlier yesterday to restore all affected lines by tomorrow, March 14.
In a press statement, Globe Telecom announced the completion of the restoration work of the “accidentally damaged cable” that serves the traffic facility of the city.
Through the work of its contractor and in coordination with PLDT, regular operations were scheduled to resume by yesterday afternoon.
Also on Archival’s motion, the council asked the TIC to undertake “remedial or pro-active measures” to monitor projects undertaken by utility firms and ensure that Ordinance 1618 is met before a permit is issued for the project.
Ordinance 1618 regulates pre-excavation operations in the city.
Heavy traffic
Last March 9, the diggings of Tomen Philippines, the main contractor of Globe Telecom, damaged the underground cables of PLDT, which affected many subscribers, including the computerized traffic signal system. This was blamed for heavy traffic in the downtown area.
In a separate press statement, Tomen did not disclaim responsibility for the damaged cables, but explained that the incident “was not due to negligence or lack of caution on the part of the contractor but largely due to variables that were unknown prior to the unfortunate incidents.”
Archival reported to the council that during the meeting yesterday morning, KC Lee of Tomen said they complied with the requirements of the TIC.
The contractor is employing “trenchless no digging technology” using a directional boring system, as required in its permit.
Mayor Tomas Osmeña has suspended all the diggings of Globe until the damaged cables are fully restored.
But during the discussion yesterday, the councilors said the City should also ban the erring contractors and make them pay for damages.
It was reportedly the third time Globe’s expansion program affected Citom’s equipment, in which, Vice Mayor Michael Rama pointed out, the City invested millions of pesos.
(March 13, 2003 issue)
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